Philippines

Hunt for shipwreck survivors

Article published on the 2008-06-23 Latest update 2008-06-24 08:47 TU

Survivors from the ferry wreck in the Philippines, 23 June 2008
(photo: Reuters)

Rescue teams in the Philippines are looking for survivors of boats that were wrecked during Typhoon Fengshen at the weekend. One ferry was carrying more than 850 people. Only about 30 survivors from that ship have been found.

Philippine rescue teams hope to find more survivors from a ferry that sank in a typhoon at the weekend, with 862 people on board. So far, 36 people from the ferry have turned up alive, raising hopes that more will be found on the many tiny islands nearby. At least 40 shipwreck survivors were reported to have reached the island of Burias, but they may have been aboard other sunken boats.

Navy divers have found no sign of life aboard the vessel just off the central island of Sibuyan. A US supply ship with search and rescue helicopters aboard and maritime surveillance aircraft have been ordered into the area to help.

The ferry company had orginally given the number of crew and passengers as 747, but revised that number up to 862. The Sulpicio Lines ferry firm has been officially blamed for the accident, although it insists the ferry was seaworthy.

It is the company's fourth disaster at sea in the past two decades.  The government has slapped the firm with an operation ban, but Sulpicio was still selling tickets on Monday.

The Princess of the Stars had been allowed to sail in spite of Typhoon Fengshen because, under current Philippine law, the vessel was deemed large enough to stay afloat in the periphery of the storm. But the typhoon tragically made a sudden change of direction from north to west, and headed directly into the ferry's path.

President Gloria Arroyo has ordered regulators to change the rules that allowed the Princess of the Stars to set sail with the typhoon nearby.

The ferries are essential, inexpensive transport for the people of the Philippines 7,100 islands, and Sulpicio Lines is one of the biggest of the ferry companies.