Sunken Trisha Kerstin 3 death toll rises to 64

Remains of Sharia judge among those recovered from wreckage

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines —   Six more bodies trapped in the wreckage of the sunken M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 were recovered in the past two days by technical divers of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), bringing to 64 the number of confirmed fatalities so far, with 15 missing.

The number of survivors stood at 293.

The bodies of three women,  two men and a baby were found in the air-conditioned accommodation section on the vessel’s deck B, according to the diving team led by Cmdr. Cheska Anna Jamorol.

One of the men was identified as Shariah Judge Alberto Romoros. He was identified by his relatives through a wristwatch he was wearing.

One of the women and the baby were found yesterday, while Romoros and the rest were recovered on Tuesday.

Earlier, the divers said they had difficulty accessing deck B as the glass windows remained intact.

The bodies were immediately transported on the PCG’s BRP Capones to the port of Zamboanga for identification and immediate burial due to the decomposing state of the remains, the PCG said.

The PCG District Southwestern Mindanao said the diving team would continue the search and retrieval mission inside the sunken vessel amid strong underwater current in the hope of finding the remaining missing victims. –  Evelyn Macairan