THE search for bodies inside the mv Princess of the Stars will remain suspended until Wednesday at least.
Commercial divers headed to the mv Princess of the Stars yesterday to remove a toxic cargo before authorities can resume retrieving hundreds of bodies believed trapped inside the ship.
Tests of water samples from the area show the toxins have not leaked out, but Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro stressed that periodic tests must be taken.
Transportation Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista said the divers will first determine whether the wreck of the ferry, which capsized in a typhoon a week ago with more than 850 people on board, is stable before they cut a hole in the hull.
That would allow them to pull out a 40-foot steel container with 22,000 pounds of the pesticide endosulfan.
Bautista expects the cargo will be removed by Wednesday. Retrieval of the bodies will resume only after the toxic cargo is removed.
17 more
The Coast Guard, meanwhile, said it had recovered 17 additional bodies from the ferry, floating in the waters or on the shores of the island of Masbate, some 60 kilometers from Sibuyan.
This was in addition to the 146 bodies earlier recovered from the ferry.
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) yesterday said there is no need to panic, adding that the toxic cargo was in an airtight and watertight container.
Marina Chief Investigator Arnie Santiago said that even if the pesticide is in the ship’s hold, it was properly packed in accordance with international regulations.
While the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said that it issued no permit for the endosulfan shipment, Santiago said there is no need for one because it is an imported, transshipment cargo.
Its importation, Santiago said, was approved by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Sealed
“There is no reason for the people and government authorities to fear because the pesticide, in liquid form, is properly packed, sealed and containerized,” Santiago said.
Marina Administrator Vicente Suazo Jr. also said that Israel, which is reportedly the shipment’s source, is very strict in following international standards in shipping chemicals.
As a common carrier, Sulpicio Lines is allowed to carry pesticides such as endosulfan, in conformity with Marina circulars and international regulations, Suazo said.
“It is unfair to blame Sulpicio Lines especially that this (endosulfan) is imported and a transshipment. It is difficult to make conclusions here,” he said.
Teodoro said a 15-member British and Filipino team were expected to arrive early this week in San Fernando to assess how to extract the pesticide safely from the sunken ferry.
“The first order of business is to get out the hazardous materials,” he told reporters.
Tests
Teodoro would not say who these experts were, only that they were from a company that “has done hazardous retrievals.”
When asked about refloating the vessel, Teodoro said the experts “would have to follow any lawful orders of the government.” He did not elaborate. (See related story)
Divers who took part in the earlier searches have undergone medical tests to ensure they have not ingested any toxins. So far, no sign of poisoning has been found.
Government learned about the cargo only after it was informed by Del Monte Philippines, which was to use it on its pineapple plantations in Mindanao.
Officials halted the retrieval operations Friday fearing for the safety of 103 divers, including eight US servicemen.
Most of the local divers have been sent to Manila for medical tests for possible contamination.
No fish
The chemical is used to kill mites in pineapples but can be lethal to humans. Bautista said ferry owner Sulpicio Lines violated maritime rules that prohibit carrying toxic or hazardous materials on passenger vessels.
The government has advised the public not to eat fish caught in the area where the ferry capsized.
It remains unclear how many passengers and crew were trapped inside when the ferry.
Only 56 survivors have been found.
Bautista said Sulpicio hired Subsea Services Inc. to remove the toxic cargo in coordination with the coast guard, the military, the Health Department and other agencies.
“Our initial plan is to do a survey to ascertain the stability of the ship ... and whether it’s dangerous to do any cutting,” said Chris Kennaman, dive superintendent for Subsea, a Philippine company that provides a variety of underwater services to the maritime industry. (AFP/AP/With EOB)
