Officials in the Philippines said today the ferry which capsized last week with 865 people and 10 tonnes of toxic chemicals on board is to be refloated.
Only 56 people are known to have survived the June 21st disaster, and at least 700 bodies are believed trapped in the MV Princess of the Stars, which ran aground and capsized off Sibuyan island in the central Philippines during a typhoon.
Attempts to bring the bodies out came to an abrupt halt last week when shipping officials said the cargo included 10 tonnes of endosulfan, a toxic pesticide.
"We have made a decision that we want to just refloat the vessel," Elena Bautista, transportation undersecretary and head of a government task force handling the ferry disaster, told reporters in the central Cebu City.
"It's the best way to get all the bodies out and the cargo and dangerous goods inside."
Ms Bautista said the government has scrapped an option to bore a hole in the ship's hull due to "too many risks involved". The ship's owners, Sulpicio Lines, have been informed of the plan and had agreed to pay for the salvage operations that could take two months, she said.
Water samples taken from the sea off Sibuyan island showed there had been no contamination but a fishing ban around the area has remained in force.