Bad weather hampers Philippines search efforts

PHILIPPINES: Rescuers retrieved three more bodies from the sea Sunday, raising the death toll from Typhoon Conson to 68 in the Philippines, but more bad weather was hampering search operations.

"Three more bodies were recovered from a sunken fishing vessel," Benito Ramos, chief of the Office of Civil Defence in Manila, said on DZBB radio.

"The death toll is now 68."

He said rescuers, including volunteers and troops, continued to scour coastal areas in the country's southeastern seaboard Sunday, where the majority of the 84 still missing were reported.

"We are still hoping that they are still alive," Ramos said.

However, he said fresh rains brought on by a new weather disturbance east of the main island of Luzon were hampering search and rescue operations. State weather forecasters however said it was unlikely to develop into a full-blown storm.

Manila, Sunday, AFP