Coast Guard: Death toll from Cebu ferry tragedy now at 81

The death toll from last week's collision of a passenger vessel and a cargo ship in Cebu rose further to 81 as of Saturday, the Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday night.

In a post on its social networking accounts, the Coast Guard said the 81 fatalities included 77 passengers and four crew members.

With the development, 39 are still missing, including 33 passengers and six crew members.

At least 750 people – 644 passengers and 106 crew members – have been rescued, the Coast Guard said.

State-run Philippines News Agency said the latest fatality to be recovered was a girl inside the sunken MV Saint Thomas Aquinas 1.

MV Saint Thomas Aquinas 1 sank last Aug. 16 after colliding with the cargo vessel Sulpicio Express 7.

The incident produced an oil spill that prompted the entire province of Cebu to declare a state of calamity.

A Coast Guard Special Board of Marine Inquiry is working to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy. — LBG, GMA News