Coast Guard: Capsized dredger death toll rises to 9

Nine people were killed and two others were still missing following the sinking last week of the dredger Hong Hai 16 in Occidental Mindoro.

The local government of Rizal town in Occidental Mindoro confirmed the number of fatalities yesterday.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard, special operations divers are still working inside the upturned hull of the ship to recover additional remains, despite dangerous structural hazards and low visibility. 

The PCG added that they plan to look into the shipowner’s operations when the time is right, but is focusing on the search and recovery mission for now.

“Let’s focus on that first before we interject or before we proceed with the administrative cases that we can file against the owner,” PCG deputy spokesperson Commander Michael John Encina.

So far, the PCG’s water quality monitoring technicians have detected no meaningful levels of pollution from the capsized vessel.