Masbate ferry toll rises to 14: military

MANILA (AFP) - The toll from a ferry accident in central Philippines rose to 14 Friday after two more bodies were washed ashore, the military said.

The bodies were recovered in southern Luzon not far from where the 400-tonne MV Blue Water lies half-submerged after capsizing on Thursday morning, said regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Rhoderick Parayno.

He said rough seas were preventing divers from recovering bodies trapped in the ferry.

"Divers attempted to go inside the ship this morning," he told reporters. "They saw many bodies inside but could not start recovery due to strong waves." He said the military was sending more diving equipment to the area to help in the recovery.

The vessel was trying to seek shelter from rough seas when it hit a rock, causing it to tip over on its side. It was still lying on its side some 500 metres (0.3 miles) from the shore.

The captain of the MV Blue Water, Virgilio Retardo, had earlier told Parayno's aide that there were 256 passengers and 14 vehicles onboard when the vessel went down, but Parayno said the captain "is now saying different things."

The military says 14 people are dead and 129 rescued, figures that conflict with information released by the coast guard.

Based on data from the coast guard station in Lucena City, where the ferry departed, there were 144 passengers and crew on board.

The coast guard has recorded 126 survivors rescued and eight dead, according to coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Armand Balilo.

He said the coast guard was "still trying to counter-check the figures," to determine how many were actually on board and how many are still missing.

They would also look into the possibility that some people may have boarded the boat without being listed by the coast guard, Balilo said.

The sinking came as typhoon Bebeng (international codename: super-typhoon Man-yi) passed off the eastern Philippines en route to southern Japan, but officials said there was no rain when the ferry went down.

Ferries, which are the backbone of travel in this archipelago nation, often have people boarding them at the last minute without being listed on the manifest.