The operation to recover hundreds of bodies inside a sunken Philippine ferry has been suspended after a highly toxic pesticide was found to be on board.

Officials said 10 tonnes of endosulfan were illegally in the cargo, destined for a pineapple plantation.

Whether the ferry operator, Sulpicio Lines, knew of the toxic cargo is unclear, though a senior official warned it could face prosecution.

Only 56 of more than 850 passengers are known to have survived the disaster.

The MV Princess of the Stars controversially left Manila harbour on 21 June despite the approaching Typhoon Fengshen.

Additional danger

It ran aground off Sibuyan island in the central Philippines, and is thought to have sunk in under 30 minutes, leaving hundreds of passengers trapped inside.

The divers who have been working in dark and dangerous conditions all week to remove the dead from the upturned ferry are now faced with a new threat, says the BBC's Michael Barker in Manila.

Exposure to endosulfan, an insecticide, has been blamed for mental and genetic disorders, skin diseases and nervous disorders, and even death.

Vice-President Noli de Castro said the ferry operator had "a lot to answer for", AFP news agency reported.

He warned it could face legal action over the breach.

Challenging operation

Officials imposed a fishing ban in the waters around the stricken vessel, but said tests so far had shown no sign of the chemical.

The suspension of dive operations means the recovery of bodies, which had been expected to take a month, is now likely to take even longer, with more agony for relatives of those lost.

Special chemical-resistant diving suits have been ordered from Singapore to help trace the chemical cargo.

But the operation will be difficult - only the tip of the seven-storey ship's bow is above the water line, with the stern resting on the edge of a reef. More than 100,000 litres of fuel are also thought to be on board.

The sinking is one of the country's worst maritime disasters, and a marine inquiry is underway into the cause of the tragedy.

Sulpicio Lines has figured in three other previous sea disasters, including a collision between a ferry and an oil tanker in 1987 that killed over 4,000 people.

(BBC)

<< Back