Tawi-tawi fishermen recover 7 bodies from sunken boat

The bodies of seven people have reportedly been recovered by local fishermen in Tawi-tawi after the victims’ boat capsized in rough waters near the Malaysian border on July 30, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday.

PCG spokesperson Captain Armand Balilo said the decomposing bodies were fished out over the Sitangkai Reefs in Tawi-tawi and were immediately buried as part of the Muslim tradition.

Balilo said search operations were continuing for eight other people still missing.

“Coast Guard Action Center has issued Notice to Mariners for all vessels transiting in the area to be on the lookout for possible survivors,” Balilo said.

Despite the tragedy, Balilo said one survivor had been found and identified him as Ibrahin Hassan Mandul.

According to Mandul, the boat was on its way to Sempornah, Sabah, Malaysia, from Sitangkai when the boat was battered by big waves and eventually sank.

The PCG was coordinating with Malaysian authorities for “possible joint operations”

The Coast Guard released the names of the other passengers of the boat but did not say who were among the dead or the missing. /cbb

Marida Darmasiyun, 70 years old, female

Muin Tahil (Boat Operator), 53, male

Nurhuda Albain, 53, female

Hassan Hussin, 53, male

Rasia Ami, 48, female

Alnajib Tahil, 17, male

Aldison Tahil, 16, male

Adzfar Tahil , 15, male

Jenny Iborahim, 13, female

Mahnuda Albain, 10, female

Ru-Inda Darmasiyun, 9, female

Amira Faizal, 8, female

Adzral Hussin, 8, male

Fairul Faizal, 7, male

Liya Husin, 7, female