Search for 7 Pinoy crewmembers of ill-fated Korean ship continues

The search operations for the missing crewmen, among them Filipinos, of the South Korean fishing vessel that capsized off Bering Sea in Russia last December 1 continued over the weekend, but yielded negative results.

“Daylight search results for 6th December are negative, no bodies were retrieved,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Charles Jose told GMA News Online in a text message.

He said the search operation resumed on daylight of December 7, likewise “yielding negative results.”

Seven Filipinos remain missing from the ill-fated South Korean fishing vessel Oryong 501. The South Korean government and the vessel's operator, Sajo Industries, had earlier said there were 60 people on board Oryong 501, including 11 South Koreans, 13 Filipinos and 35 Indonesians.

The DFA had earlier confirmed the retrieval of the bodies of three Filipinos while three more had earlier been rescued, identified as Rowell Cantuba Aljecera, Micol Insigne Sabay and Teddu Zumarraga Parangue Jr.

Meanwhile, of the three Filipino fatalities, only one, Jessie Alovera Londres, has been named so far.

Jose, in another text message, said the two other fatalities were already identified by the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, Russia, but their names will not yet be disclosed to the media as their families were yet to be notified by the Philippine Embassy.

“Yes, identified na sila, but we don't have update if their families were notified already. We won't release their names to the media unless their familes have been notified,” he said.

He said the three rescued Filipinos, as well as bodies of the three Filipino fatalities, “are still on board the vessels involved in the search and retrieval operations.”

“Our embassy in Moscow is still in discussion with the Russian and South Korean authorities on the disposition of the remains,” Jose said.

Jose said the search operations were being conducted by US Coast Guard ships Alex Haley and Monroe, seven Russian vessels, four Korean vessels and a C-130 aircraft.

Jose said that on Saturday evening two more aircraft of the Sourth Korean Coast Guard arrived in the area of the incident and are expected to help in succeeding search operations.

He said a South Korean Coast Guard ship KCG 5001 also departed from Korea and is expected to arrive in Russia on December 14. —KBK, GMA News