Divers find bodies of trapped victims inside capsized vessel

MANILA, Philippines - The worst fears of authorities were confirmed on Tuesday as rescuers from the Navy and Coast Guard saw bodies of several passengers trapped inside MV Princess of that Stars that capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province over the weekend. In an interview with radio dzBB, Navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said rescuers saw the bodies after they entered the ship at about 9 a.m. "Nakalutang ang karamihan ng bangkay sa loob. Sila ay na-trap sa biglang pagtaob, so nakulong ( Most of the bodies were floating, the victims were trapped inside the ship when it suddenly tilted and capsized)." Arevalo believed that while some of the passengers could have initially survived the mishap, they eventually succumbed to bad conditions inside the ship before rescuers arrived. The rescuers' operations are continuously being hampered by rough sea conditions, according to Arevalo. "Di natin kasalanan 'yan, ang turbulent seas hanggang ngayon hina-hamper ang operation natin (That's not our fault, it's because of the turbulent sea that interferes with our operations)," Arevalo said. Asked about the chance of rescuing survivors from the ship, Arevalo said: "I don't want to speculate," adding that it was too dark to see how many were still inside the ferry. The priority of rescuers is to remove the remains trapped inside the ferry, according to Arevalo. He said some of the bodies found in the ferry were wearing life vests. However, Arevalo believed the victims were not able to immediately jump off the ship because big waves suddenly overturned the vessel. Arevalo said authorities were checking reports on the recovery of 18 survivors, two of whom in critical condition, and two fatalities on Burias Island in Masbate province. He said the report was intercepted by the Navy through radio. He said a US Navy rescue ship had arrived at the vicinity of Sibuyan island Tuesday morning to assist in the rescue operations. He said the Americans would also use two surveillance aircraft for the search. A statement from the AFP's Southern Luzon Command said the US Navy ship under Commodore Bradley Smith arrived at about 5:30 a.m. on Sibuyan Island, located 17 to 20 miles from the ship wreckage. The statement added that around Tuesday noon, Smith went to the town hall of San Fernando town in Romblon to be briefed on the operations. Coordination between Philippine and US rescue teams is being conducted for the rescue efforts, the statement said. Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it would open the ship's hull on Tuesday to check on those still inside the vessel. “They will try to cut a hole on the hull, weather permitting, today. We have sent additional Coast Guard divers to support all other divers now prepositioned in the area," said Capt. Gilbert Rueros, a Coast Guard representative, said in a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo. Rueros said that so far, there had been no major changes on the number of recorded casualties and survivors of the ship operated by Sulpicio Lines. There were least 20 fatalities and 62 survivors in the government list. The ship was reportedly carrying 849 passengers and crew members when it capsized. A PCG panel has started investigating the incident since Monday, according to Rueros. He said the probe would continue on Wednesday. For his part, Anthony Golez, spokesman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection had started helping PCG in its rescue efforts. “We have no development as to the number (of casualties and survivors)... but (the) search and rescue operations (are) continuing. In fact, the number of those helping the Coast Guard...(is) increasing," Golez added. - GMANews.TV