MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recovered two more bodies from the capsized sand carrier vessel MV Hong Hai 16 off the coast of Occidental Mindoro, bringing down the number of missing persons to two.

The PCG said the bodies were retrieved in two separate diving operations conducted by the Special Operations Group–Southern Tagalog and technical wreck divers from the Coast Guard Special Operations Force.

The first body was recovered at 9:17 a.m. from Cargo Hold No. 1, while the second was retrieved at 3:10 p.m. from the Cargo Hold Monitoring Control Room. Authorities have yet to identify the victims, pending notification of their families.

Meanwhile, the Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement Response Group–Southern Tagalog, in coordination with the Provincial Environmental Management Unit (PEMU) of San Jose, conducted water sampling along three shoreline points in Brgy. Malawaan to assess any potential ecological impact from the incident.

Initial surface monitoring found no visible signs of an oil spill in the vicinity of the vessel.

The PCG said that recovery, search, and environmental monitoring efforts are ongoing, with the safety of the surrounding marine environment and the recovery of the remaining missing individuals as top priorities.