155
« on: July 02, 2008, 09:31:12 AM »
Officials in the Philippines say they plan to refloat a ferry which capsized last month with 865 people and 10 tonnes of toxic chemicals on board.
Only 56 people are known to have survived the disaster, and at least 700 bodies are believed trapped in the vessel, which ran aground and capsized during a typhoon.
A government official said the ship's owners, Sulpicio Lines Inc, had been informed of the plan and had agreed to pay for the salvage operation, which could take two months.
AdvertisementAttempts to bring the bodies out came to an abrupt halt last week when shipping officials said the cargo included 10 tonnes of endosulfan, a toxic pesticide.
'We have made a decision that we want to just refloat the vessel,' Elena Bautista, transportation undersecretary and head of a government taskforce handling the ferry disaster, told reporters in the central Cebu City.
'It's the best way to get all the bodies out and the cargo and dangerous goods inside.' Ms Bautista said the government has scrapped an option to bore a hole in the ship's hull due to 'too many risks involved'.
Water samples taken from the sea off Sibuyan island showed there had been no contamination but a fishing ban around the area has remained in force.
The sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars is the country's worst sea accident since the Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker in 1987, killing more than 4,000 people.
Sulpicio Lines also owned the Dona Paz. The company has also been involved in two other major shipping accidents.
Show Posts