4 bodies retrieved from Samar boat blast site

TACLOBAN, Philippines — Four more bodies were recovered on Friday from the waters off Samar where a boat reportedly carrying communist rebels burst into flames during a firefight with government security forces.

The figure brought to six the total number of cadavers recovered from the scene of the incident that occurred last Monday.

The bodies were reportedly found floating between the coastal waters of Tarangnan and Sto. Niño Island by search and retrieval teams.

A resident informed the Tarangnan police that he found two bodies floating near Barangay Baras.

Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard, the police and the military as well as the municipal disaster risk reduction management office recovered the bodies at around 9 a.m.

Several hours later, two more cadavers were found floating in the waters off Barangay San Vicente.

After undergoing forensics and post-mortem examinations, the bodies were buried immediately as these were already decomposing.

Earlier, a woman’s remains were recovered by a fisherman in the waters off the island town of Sto. Niño.

The upper portions of most of the cadavers were ruptured, according to Capt. Ryan Layug, spokesman for the Joint Task Force Storm.

Layug said this could be bacause the baggage area of the boat was at the chest level of the passengers, who were either sitting or standing.

He said the suspected rebels, who were transporting an improvised explosive device, could have placed the IED on that part of the boat.