Philippines ship collision toll rises to 71

Manila, Aug 21: The toll in the collision of two ships in the Philippines rose to 71 Wednesday, with at least 49 people still missing, the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Six bodies were recovered by divers Wednesday morning, including two children, reported Xinhua citing a statement.

The number of rescued passengers and crewmen stood at 750.

Underwater retrieval operations for passengers trapped inside MV St. Thomas Aquinas that sank off Talisay city in Cebu last Friday were again hampered by inclement weather, according to the military sources.

Gregory Gerald Fabic, navy spokesman, said divers resumed their efforts at around 5.30 a m Tuesday but they suspended it at around 10 a m owing to bad weather.

IANS