The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirms that the sinking of the cargo vessel MV Hong Hai 16 off the coast of Rizal on April 15 cost 9 lives.
The retrieval of the corpses happened on the 19th and 20th days of April across different locations of the submerged ship. The incident took place on April 15 in the sea just outside the Barangay Malawaan in Rizal. Divers searched the waters for two other missing crew members in a search that has turned dangerous due to underwater conditions.
According to the authorities under PCG and DENR-CENRO, there are no indications of an oil spill.
Of the vessel’s complement of 25, 14 crew members were rescued, including 13 Filipinos and 12 Chinese nationals.
In honor of those who died and all those involved in rescue efforts, a memorial Mass was conducted by the PCG Chaplain Services on Black Saturday.
Search and recovery operation is still progress.
