MANILA, May 17 -- The Philippines pledged Wednesday to review maritime safety standards and step up inspections as dive teams searched for more bodies from a cargo and passenger ship that burned and sank, killing at least 40 people. Transportation Secretary Jesus Garcia ordered the Maritime Industry Authority to re-inspect wood-hulled vessels that service relatively short routes between Philippine islands. He said shippers who violate safety regulations would be stripped of their franchises. His comments came a day after the M/V Antipolo VII caught fire and sank early Tuesday morning as it approached Lucena port, 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Manila. 'Initial investigations indicate that the M/V Antipolo was overloaded and its engine was constantly having trouble,' Garcia said. 'The ship also apparently did not have adequate safety facilities.' Survivors said the fire began in the vessel's engine room. It swiftly spread to the ship's wooden upper deck, sending panicked passengers jumping overboard to escape the flames. The Philippines Coast Guard said 40 bodies have been recovered while an estimated 10 people were missing. Police placed the death toll at 45. Rescuers plucked 142 survivors from the water on Tuesday. Authorities gave up hope of finding more survivors Wednesday afternoon and concentrated on finding submerged bodies. The vessel's skipper, Anacilito Derlada, turned himself over to authorities late Tuesday, hours after President Fidel Ramos ordered an investigation into the ship's sinking. Derlada was being questioned by the Coast Guard. Authorities say the ship's manifesto listed only 75 passengers.
They are investigating why so many more people were on board and are looking into reports it may have exceeded its legal cargo capacity. The Coast Guard said officials at Viva Shipping Lines, the owner of the ship, could face penalties and possibly jail terms if found guilty of falsifying the vessel's passenger manifesto. Authorities said they were seeking the ship's chief engineer for questioning. Garcia urged Coast Guard officials to re-evaluate safety regulations, pointing out that the M/V Antipolo VII passed an inspection last year. The ship was the second inter island ferry to catch fire in recent days. On May 7 another ship, the M/V Lorenzo Ruiz, caught fire while approaching a port city in nearby Batangas province. In that incident, the fire was contained and all 200 passengers aboard were rescued.
