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RETRIEVAL operations for the toxic cargo of chemicals and bunker
fuel from the cargo hold of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars
will begin September 1.
This developed after Sulpicio Lines Inc., the
owner and operator of the ill-fated passenger vessel, signed
Thursday evening a $7.5-million contract with Titan Salvage to
undertake the job.
Titan will retrieve the 10 metric tons of
endosulfan pesticide and the more than 100,000 liters of bunker fuel
from the ill-fated vessel.
Amit Wahi, the commercial manager of Titan, said
that they would begin the mobilization of their equipment and
personnel once Sulpicio makes a 50-percent payment.
Maritime Transport Undersecretary Ma. Elena
Bautista said it would take the salvage firm 21 days to mobilize its
personnel and equipment before it could start the retrieval
operations, which can be completed within three weeks.
The contract signed by Sulpicio and Titan only
covers the retrieval of the bunker fuel, hydrocarbon and endosulfan
pesticides, of which the latter is owned by Del Monte Philippines
Inc.
The salvage firm plans to bore a hole at the
side of the capsized passenger vessel where the cargo of toxic
chemicals and bunker fuel are reportedly located.
Sulpicio First Vice President Edwin Go said his
company is negotiating with the Philippine Technical Divers to
handle the retrieval of victims’ bodies that are still inside the
capsized vessel.
For humanitarian reasons, Titan agreed they will
retrieve the bodies that their divers would find during the
retrieval operations for the chemicals and fuels.
Likewise, members of the Philippine Technical
Divers will immediately retrieve the remaining bodies inside the
ill-fated vessel once all the toxic cargoes have been removed.
Maritime authorities halted their search and
retrieval operations after divers discovered that a 40 foot-long
container van inside the vessel contained some 10 metric tons of
endosulfan.
-- Anthony Vargas
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