The 402 Drums: How a Ferry Became a Toxic Tomb

The 402 Drums: How a Ferry Became a Toxic Tomb

The thought of 402 drums of a banned pesticide sitting inside a capsized passenger ferry creates a chilling barrier between rescuers and survivors - and it kept divers out for months. The Princess of the Stars sank in Typhoon Fengshen with 870 people aboard, and the presence of 402 drums of endosulfan turned the wreck into a chemical hazard; how did one mislabeled container change the fate of hundreds and the course of the recovery?

In this episode, we tell what happened before, during and after the sinking of the Princess of the Stars, including the ship’s conversions, the illegal cargo, and the delayed recovery - and we ask what responsibility the company and the state bore in the disaster.

Ship: Princess of the Stars Date: June 21, 2008 Location: Sibuyan Sea, off Romblon Cargo: 402 drums of endosulfan, 25 kg each Passengers aboard: 870

- The vessel capsized at 1:00 PM and settled under 85 feet of water. - 56 survivors were rescued out of 870 people aboard. - 814 people were either recovered over two years or presumed inside the hull. - The container held 402 drums, each weighing 25 kilograms, filled with endosulfan. - The ship was built in 1984, refitted in 1990 and again after purchase by Sulpicio Lines in July 2004.

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