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Divers search for more victims from Philippine ferry

Divers returned to a half-sunken, gutted ferry yesterday to search for 137 missing passengers, while the government played down claims by a Muslim militant group that it planted a bomb which caused the ship to catch fire last week.

Chances of finding additional survivors were slim.

Only one person has been confirmed dead from the fire that swept through Superferry 14 on Friday shortly after it left Manila, while most of the 899 passengers and crew survived by getting into lifeboats or jumping into the sea. Witnesses reported a large explosion started the blaze.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has dismissed the claim of responsibility by the Abu Sayyaf militants as propaganda, saying investigators had not concluded the blast was due to terrorists. Officials have not ruled out terrorism, however, in their continuing investigation.

The ship's owner, WG&A, reduced the number of missing from 184 to 137 yesterday, after some survivors contacted authorities over the weekend. It's possible that others may have escaped and failed to inform officials, spokeswoman Gina Virtusio said.

"Every day we'd get information that some of the rescued passengers went home without passing through us or the coast guard," she said. "We are hoping there are more out there."

Coast guard Commodore Wilfredo Tamayo said divers, medical teams and firefighters probing the wreckage of 10,192-ton steel-hulled ferry in the shallow waters of Manila Bay yesterday had so far found no remains.

"There's twisted metal hanging everywhere. Every time they move something, it's falling on them," he said. "We'll have to use special equipment to clear and unravel the debris."
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