A Philippine coast guard commander said the tragic scenes of death his team saw aboard a gutted ferry, including bodies of adults clutching children, moved them to tears and sparked fears other passengers could be found dead in the still-smoldering ship.
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine coast guard commander said Friday that the tragic scenes of death his team saw aboard a gutted ferry, including bodies of adults clutching children, had moved them to tears and sparked fears other passengers could be found dead in the still-smoldering ship.
All 35 crew members survived, including the captain, who issued an abandon-ship order when the fire hit close to midnight and then ran the ferry aground on an island off Basilan province to give remaining passengers a better chance to survive, coast guard officials said. “When I first saw that scene, I was moved to tears with some of my men,” Salahuddin told The Associated Press by telephone. “It was a short journey. Why did so many have to die?”
He feared more bodies could be found in the lower enclosed decks, which remained dangerously hot and could not be inspected on Thursday by his team. According to the manifest, it was carrying 205 passengers and a 35-member crew, Marfe said. In addition, it had a security contingent of four coast guard marshals, who all survived. Eight soldiers were traveling to Sulu.
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