Manila - A private salvage team on Monday surveyed a sunken
ferry in the Philippines in a bid to remove a cargo of toxic
pesticides that forced authorities to suspend efforts to retrieve
hundreds of bodies trapped inside, the coast guard said.
Divers from the Philippine-based Subsea Services Inc inspected
the capsized MV Princess of the Stars, with only its hull protruding
from the sea off Sibuyan island in Romblon province, 300 kilometres
south of Manila.
Philippine authorities suspended on Friday retrieval operations
for hundreds of dead bodies believed trapped inside the ferry after
they discovered that the ill-fated vessel was carrying 10 tons of
endosulfan, a restricted pesticide.
The coast guard said 56 people survived the tragedy, while 250
bodies have been recovered. More than 500 other people who were
aboard the sunken ferry are still missing and presumed dead.
Transportation Undersecretary Elena Bautista said more than 100
divers involved in the retrieval operations were undergoing medical
check-ups in Manila for possible contamination by the pesticide.
Tests showed the water around the ferry was not contaminated by
endosulfan, a pesticide used in pineapple plantations that can cause
death or attack the central nervous system when ingested by humans.
The salvage divers were planning to bore holes into the hull of
the sunken ferry to collect water samples to test if the deadly
cargo has leaked.
If the water is cleared of contamination, the hull will be pried
open to remove the toxic chemical contained in a 40-foot container.
The MV Princess of the Stars sank at the height of typhoon
Fengshen on June 21. Aside from the ferry sinking, Fengshen also
caused massive floodings, landslides and other accidents, killing 540
people with 41 still missing.
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