|
Manila: A ship owner signed a contract with a foreign firm to re-float an upturned vessel, retrieve about 10 metric tons of toxic pesticide and more than 700 bodies that were trapped inside the ship, 25 days after it sank off the coast of central Philippines due to typhoon Fengshen, sources said.
Sulpicio Lines Inc. finalised negotiations with Titan Salvage, a company operating in the United States, Britain and Southeast Asia, for the re-floating of the 23,824.17 gross-ton MV Princess of the Stars, which sank off Sibuyan Island on June 21, said Maria Victoria Florido, SLI's legal counsel.
"The plan to re-float the sunken ship will change only if there is a better way to retrieve the 10 metric tons of endosulfan, a cargo imported by Del Monte Philippines from Israel, which was kept in a container van," said Florido.
Diffusing a disaster
SLI and Titan Salvage started coordinating with the Department of Transportation and Communications for the immediate retrieval of the toxic pesticide, Florido said, adding, "The management of Sulpicio wants to diffuse an ecological disaster at the soonest possible time by taking action."
Fishermen in Romblon, and in nearby Sibuyan Island, lost their livelihood due to the possible contamination of sea waters by the toxic pesticide which is still inside the sunken ship.
|
