The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday, February 10, said that the death toll from the sunken M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 had climbed to 51.

In its update, the agency said that technical divers conducted underwater operations on the capsized roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) vessel in the vicinity waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan on Tuesday. Around 6:00 AM, the PCG Technical Diving Group (TDG) conducted a pre-dive briefing to review safety measures, operational objectives, and dive parameters for the mission.

According to the agency, four PCG technical divers conducted search and rescue and dive operations at approximately 180 feet, focusing on the vessel’s first-deck economy accommodation area. During the operations, five cadavers were recovered by the diving group.

“The remains were immediately secured and are being transported to Zamboanga City Port for identification and proper disposition, in coordination with the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (ZCDRRMO),” the PCG explained.

As of writing, the reported fatalities from the capsized vessel had reached 51, while the number of survivors remains at 316.