Philippines Ferry Accident

The death toll from a capsized Philippine ferry rose to 51 today as rescuers tried to right the overturned vessel and found more bodies, a coast guard official said.

As the MV Thomas Aquinas cruised toward Cebu city in the central Philippines, navy marshal Richard Pestillos prepared for a brief stop while some passengers watched a band and others soaked in the night breeze on the deck.

Worsening weather and sea conditions on Saturday forced the Philippines to suspend a search for survivors of a ferry disaster that killed at least 32 people and left 170 missing, authorities said.

Seven people died, including two children, and five were left missing after a small ferry sank off the southern Philippines, the civil defence office said on Thursday.

The death toll from a capsized Philippine ferry rose to 51 today as rescuers tried to right the overturned vessel and found more bodies, a coast guard official said.

As the MV Thomas Aquinas cruised toward Cebu city in the central Philippines, navy marshal Richard Pestillos prepared for a brief stop while some passengers watched a band and others soaked in the night breeze on the deck.

Worsening weather and sea conditions on Saturday forced the Philippines to suspend a search for survivors of a ferry disaster that killed at least 32 people and left 170 missing, authorities said.

Seven people died, including two children, and five were left missing after a small ferry sank off the southern Philippines, the civil defence office said on Thursday.