MANILA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Philippine divers have pulled out 10 metric tonnes of a toxic fertiliser from a ferry that sank in June with more than 860 people on board, officials said on Sunday.

The removal of the toxic fertiliser, pesticide and bunker fuel has to be finished before the divers can begin to bring up bodies of up to 600 people believed trapped in the MV Princess of the Stars ferry which capsized in a typhoon.

Elena Bautista, transportation undersecretary, told reporters that divers had brought out over 400 bags of endosulfan, a highly toxic fertiliser.

They have now to bring out about one tonne of pesticides and about 250 tonnes of bunker fuel before getting to the bodies.

The ferry ran aground and capsized at the height of typhoon Fengshen in June. Only 56 people are known to have survived.

Salvage operations did not begin until August and authorities had to proceed cautiously to prevent the cargo from shifting and spilling.

The sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars is the country's worst sea accident since the Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker in 1987, killing more than 4,000 people.

Ferries are a popular mode of transport in the Philippine archipelago because fares are cheap, but ageing vessels and overloading commonly cause accidents. (Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

AlertNet news is provided by