Cebu collision death toll rises to 80

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday said the death toll from the ill-fated M/V St. Thomas Aquinas has gone up to 80 as five more bodies were seen floating near Cordova town in Cebu.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said as of 4:45 p.m., the recovered bodies from the St. Thomas Aquinas, which collided with M/V Sulpicio Express 7 off Cordova town last Aug. 16, consist of 76 passengers and four crewmembers.

The current death toll brings down the number of missing persons to 40.

There were 750 survivors of the accident, the PCG said.

The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is the overall agency handling and supervising the search, rescue and retrieval operations on the country’s latest maritime disaster.

Day of mourning

The city government of Butuan declared yesterday as a “Day of Mourning” in sympathy to the victims of St. Thomas Aquinas, some of whom came from Butuan.

Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. also directed all the city’s public institutions to lower the Philippine flag at half mast for three days beginning yesterday.

Amante said they will also provide legal, moral and financial support to the victims and their families.

Students’ help sought

Balilo encouraged Cebu students to join in the oil spill cleanup in Cordova following reports that oil spilled out from the St. Thomas Aquinas.

With a three-day weekend ahead, Monday being National Heroes Day, Balilo said they are expecting more students to volunteer for the cleanup drive.

Volunteer students are asked to coordinate with the PCG Marine Environment Protection Unit (MEPU) for their work assignments and the use of proper protection gear such as facemasks.

Aside from students, Balilo said the fishing community, divers and local members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have also been assisting them in the cleanup in Cordova, known as a fishing tourism area in the province.

The oil spill has reportedly affected 18 barangays.

Balilo said that information reaching the PCG headquarters showed that one source of the leak from the submerged vessel has been plugged but they have yet to determine the location and number of other leaks. 

He said they tried to surround the ship with oil spill booms in an effort to control the spread of the oil on water, but since the vessel reportedly lies at 120 feet below sea level, and the length of their booms were only 100 feet, they could not properly anchor the equipment.

On Thursday, the PCG began neutralizing the oil on water using dispersant chemicals.

At the time of the incident, St. Thomas Aquinas was carrying 120,000 liters of bunker fuel, 20,000 liters of lube oil and 20,000 liters of diesel.

Yesterday, the Special Board of Marine Inquiry (SBMI),  a fact-finding body that would gather facts regarding the ship collision,  convened in Cebu. – Jaime Laude, Ben Serrano