PCG stops search for bodies from sunken ship

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has terminated the search for more bodies and removal of oil from the sunken M/V St. Thomas Aquinas in Cebu.

Commodore William Melad, PCG-Central Visayas District commander, said divers of the PCG, Philippine Navy, Philippine Technical Divers and volunteers have so far scoured 90 percent of the ship and “all the possible safe areas that they could look for bodies.” 

The divers, according to Melad, could not fully comb through the wreckage because some parts were hard to reach and “could be risky for our divers.”

In a previous attempt, he said debris nearly fell on a diver.

Melad, however, said technical divers from the PCG and Navy would respond if bodies would surface from the ship.

At least 116 bodies have been retrieved, with 21 others still unaccounted for. At least 733 people survived when M/V St. Thomas Aquinas sank after colliding with cargo ship Sulpicio Express Siete last Aug. 16.

Meanwhile, Melad said as of 11:30 a.m. yesterday, divers of the Nippon Salvage and Malayan Towage, hired by ferry owner 2Go Travel, had siphoned oil and fuel from 11 tanks and four compartments of the sunken ferry.

“They were able to recover a mixture of oil and fuel of about 6,800 liters from all the tanks and compartments,” he said.

When the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas sank, it was carrying 120,000 liters of bunker oil, 20,000 liters of lube oil, and 20,000 liters of diesel oil.

Melad said they would evaluate the situation and study the possibility of salvaging the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas. “At its present depth of 50 meters, it is not considered a hazard to navigation,” he added though.