Philippine ferry disaster death toll rises to 71
Hopes fading of finding any more survivors
The confirmed death toll from a ferry disaster in the Philippines rose to 71 on Wednesday as hopes faded for finding any more survivors of the tragedy, authorities said.
Divers pulled out six more bodies from the interior of the sunken ferry while body parts were found on a small island nearby, said provincial disaster management officer Neil Sanchez.
Discovery of the additional bodies brought to 49 the number of people still missing after the St Thomas Aquinas ferry collided with a cargo ship off the central island of Cebu on Friday night and quickly sank.
“If we have to assess the situation, I would say that chances are already slim of finding survivors,” Sanchez said.
It is believed that many of the bodies of the missing are still trapped in the interior of the sunken ship.
Strong currents and bad weather as well as the difficulty of reaching the ferry, lying at a depth of about 30 metres has slowed down recovery efforts.
