Philippine police have filed murder charges against the owner, the captain and crew of a passenger ferry that capsized off the coast in Central Philippines on Thursday.
Regional police chief Asher Dolina said that the charges were filed late on Friday in Ormoc City, Southern Leyte for the sinking of the MV Nirvana that killed dozens of passengers on board.
A preliminary investigation by the police and interviews with the survivors implied not only that there was an error committed by the captain and the crew, but that it may have been done on purpose.
"They were not careful, showing there was an intent to kill," Dolina said in an interview with Agence France-Presse.
Nineteen people, including the owner Joge Bong Zarco, Captain Warren Oliviero and all 17 crew members of the boat, were charged for the incident and are currently under custody of the police.
If convicted, all of them could face up to 40 years imprisonment under Philippine law, BBC News reported.
Overloading of cargo and passengers was also cited by officials as a reason why the ship capsized, as survivors revealed that they saw over a hundred bags of cement in the cargo area of the ship, according to another AFP report.
The death toll rose to 51 after rescuers attempted to overturn the vessel where dozens of bloated bodies spilled out, which was on the same day the murder charges were filed.
The wooden and motor-powered boat had flipped moments after it had just left the port of Ormoc on its way to Camotes Island in Cebu, according to Reuters.
