MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed on Sunday that the death toll from the capsized dredger MV Hong Hai 16 has climbed to nine, following the recovery of additional bodies in Malawaan, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro on Saturday.
According to Lieutenant Junior Grade Kenneth Bongabong, commander of the PCG Occidental Mindoro Station, two crew members remain missing.
“As of now, nine fatalities have been confirmed since the incident occurred. Two individuals are still missing,” Bongabong said in an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo.
The ill-fated vessel was carrying 25 crew members—13 Filipinos and 12 Chinese nationals—when it capsized approximately 100 meters off the coast of Barangay Malawaan on Holy Tuesday. The ship was reportedly conducting dredging operations at the time of the accident.
Bongabong declined to release the identities of the deceased, stating that families of the victims had yet to be officially notified.
The PCG is continuing its marine investigation, though Bongabong noted that their current priority is the ongoing search and rescue operation.
“Our search efforts continue daily, using the same techniques. Aside from underwater search operations, our personnel from the Marine Environmental Protection Group are conducting seaborn patrols to monitor for any oil spill sightings,” he said. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is also assisting in shoreline operations.
In the aftermath of the incident, the provincial government of Occidental Mindoro announced it will suspend operations of Bluemax Tradelink, Inc., the firm responsible for dredging the Lumintao River.
During a press conference on Saturday, Occidental Mindoro Governor Eduardo Gadiano said a cease-and-desist order will be formally issued to Bluemax on Monday. Additionally, the governor has directed the ship owner, Keen Peak Corp., to begin the removal of the sunken MV Hong Hai 16 from the area.
