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.