By Arabella Asis
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday, April 9 recovered another body of a passenger of the ill-fated ferry M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 that caught fire off the Basilan waters in late March.
In an update, the PCG said around 9:00 a.m. Sunday, a concerned citizen reported the sighting of the body of Alses Hassan, one of the two remaining missing passengers of M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, in the vicinity waters off Langgas Island in Maluso, Basilan.
The cadaver was turned over to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Maluso for disposal.
Meanwhile, the PCG said search and rescue operations continue for the last missing passenger.
As of Sunday, the PCG recorded 216 survivors and 32 deaths due to the incident.
Of the fatalities, 15 were recovered at sea, while 17 were recovered on board the vessel.
Based on the initial investigation conducted by the Bureau of Fire Protection Manila Arson Team, a faulty electrical wiring or short circuit may have caused the ferry blaze.
M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 was en route from Zamboanga City to Jolo, Sulu when it caught fire off the waters of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan on March 29 evening. – cf