7 confirmed dead from capsized dredging vessel

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard retrieved three more bodies from the capsized dredging vessel off the coast of Occidental Mindoro, bringing the total number of fatalities to seven.

PCG divers retrieved one body from the accommodation area of sunken ship MV Hong Hai at 3:56 p.m. yesterday, Black Saturday, the agency’s Southern Tagalog District reported.

Two other bodies were retrieved on Good Friday – one at the accommodation area at 2:10 p.m., and another at the Cargo Hold No. 1 at 3:28 p.m.

The PCG did not provide details about the three recovered remains, as well as the four previous casualties, pending identification.

PCG divers also found vessel documents and personal belongings, contributing to identification efforts and supporting the ongoing investigation.

More personal items were recovered from the vessel’s bridge area and second-floor cabin yesterday, the PCG added.

The PCG also collected water samples from the vicinity of the sunken vessel and sent these (to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau) for laboratory analysis to ensure continued environmental safety in the area. It noted that no significant environmental threat has been identified.

MV Hong Hai 16 – a sand carrier operated by Keen Peak Corp. and manned by 13 Filipinos and 12 Chinese crew members – sank while sailing around 100 meters from the shore of Brgy. Malawaan in Rizal town, Occidental Mindoro at 5:20 p.m. on April 15. The vessel was carrying 7,400 cubic meters of sand.

PCG rescued 14 crew members – six Filipinos and eight Chinese – with four people still missing.