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Friday, June 27, 2008
Fear of toxic chemicals stops retrieval operations
MANILA (Updated 1:30 p.m.) -- Officials suspended Friday the retrieval of bodies trapped inside the sunken mv Princess of the Stars due to fears that divers would be exposed to toxic chemicals in the cargo hold.
Vice President Noli de Castro told reporters that 22,000 pounds (10,000 kilograms) of the pesticide endosulfan, intended for pineapple plantations of Del Monte Philippines, went down with the ferry when it capsized at the height of typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen) last Saturday in the central Philippines.
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"Because this pesticide is dangerous, we have temporarily aborted the retrieval operations at the ship," he said.
More than 100 divers, including eight US servicemen, have joined the search.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the pesticide does not easily dissolve in water and could be lethal to humans.
He warned against eating fish caught in the area until tests show they have not been contaminated.
It remains unclear how many of the 850-plus passengers and crew were trapped inside when the 23,824-ton Princess of the Stars suddenly listed and went belly up in a half-hour or less during the powerful typhoon, leaving just the tip of the bow jutting from the water.
Only 56 survivors have been found, while 124 bodies have washed ashore or been recovered while floating at sea, some in life jackets, coast guard Commander Danilo Avila said.
The typhoon also left 505 people dead and 287 missing elsewhere in the country, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.
Coast guard chief Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said a salvage company was being consulted on possibly turning upright the seven-story ship to speed up recovery work.
He said the Coast Guard would consult officials and the US Navy on the possible assistance of its salvage ship USNS Safeguard.
The ship is one of six deployed by the US Navy alongside the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to help in rescue and relief operations in the wake of typhoon Frank.
Seahawk helicopters from the Reagan have delivered bottled water and rice to Panay island, one of the provinces heavily devastated by the typhoon.
Transportation Undersecretary Maria Elena Bautista said the pesticide was shipped in 400 55-pound (25-kilo) boxes stashed in a steel container.
She said a team of foreign divers with special chemical resistant suits will examine the cargo and recommend how to haul it out of the ship.
She said the government learned about the pesticide only after Del Monte informed the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) about it.
De Castro castigated ferry owner Sulpicio Lines Inc. for not informing the government that it was carrying such cargo.
He said they will sanction Sulpicio for such violation.
Other experts meantime said there was no indication of leakage yet from the shipment. However, the divers who entered the ship will be examined for possible exposure to the dangerous substance.
Bautista, who also heads Task Force mv Princess of the Stars, said the divers will be brought to Manila for medical examination to "make sure that they are healthy and not affected by the presence of the substance in the vessel."
As of Friday, divers have not complained about feeling any symptoms that could possibly be explained to endosulfan exposure.
Families of the victims, however, were disgusted after they heard reports of the suspension of retrieval operations in Romblon. They said this would just prolong their agony. (AP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (June 27, 2008 issue)
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