Foreign Minister extends condolences to the people of the Philippines

25 Jun 2008


Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins has offered his deepest sympathies to the people of the Philippines by sending a letter of condolence to Alberto Romulo, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, with regard to the deaths and devastation caused by Typhoon Fengshen, as well as in relation to the shipwreck of the Princess of the Stars ferry in the wake of the typhoon, which claimed several hundred lives.

The Princess of the Stars, which was on its way to Cebu from the capital Manila with 862 passengers on board, ran aground, capsized, and sank near the island of Sibuyan, about 150 km south from Manila on Saturday, during the typhoon. Rescue divers found hundreds of bodies on Tuesday, but at least 57 people have managed to survive.

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