MANILA - The death toll from the fatal collision between a passenger ship and a cargo vessel in Cebu province of central Philippines rose to 64 by Tuesday noon, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Rescuers are still searching for the 56 missing. The number of rescued passengers remained at 750.

The ill-fated passenger ship MV St. Thomas Aquinas collided with MV Sulpicio Express 7 cargo ship in Talisay city of Cebu last Friday night. The passenger ship, carrying 870 people on board, sank after the collision.

Due to oil spilling from the passenger ship, Cebu province declared a state of calamity on Monday.