42 dead in RP ferry tragedy

42 dead in RP ferry tragedy

MANILA (DPA): The death toll in the sinking of a Philippine
ferry carrying hundreds of passengers going home for the holidays
rose to 42 as navy divers found more bodies trapped inside the
ship, officials said on Sunday.

At least seven bodies were retrieved from the M/V Asia-South
Korea that sank near Bantayan Island off Cebu province, 585
kilometers south of Manila, early on Thursday, said Maj. Gen.
Santos Gabison, an army regional commander.

Maj. Michael Manquiquis, head of the regional army's civil
office, said most of the bodies, some still wearing life vests,
washed ashore in nearby coastal towns and islands or were found
floating in the rough waters.

Disaster relief officials said the known number of survivors
was 711. They included two Swiss nationals, a Canadian woman, a
German man and four Nepalese students.