The death toll has risen to 55 after the Friday night crash of a passenger ferry and cargo ship in Philippine waters, CNN reports.

So far, 750 people have been rescued from the southern Philippine waters of Cebu City, including the captains of both the ferry and the ship, but 68 people are still missing. The Coast Guard temporarily suspended the search for the other survivors at noon today because of rough water conditions.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Cebu Coast Guard Station Commander Weniel Azcuna said that diving operations began early Monday morning. Eleven bodies were found in the sunken ferry before the search was provisionally paused.

Azcuna also stated that the ferry was carrying 20 tons of diesel and 120 tons of bunker fuel. The owner of the ferry, 2Go Shipping Lines, has hired an oil spill expert named Malayan Towan to help monitor the situation. The Coast Guard is also using its own resources to contain any oil spillage.

Investigators are still searching for the cause of the accident that sank the ferry about 150 feet into the water and damaged the cargo ship, the Sulpicio, creating a large hole in its bow. There were a combined total of 800 passengers and crew total on both the ship and ferry.

The collision occurred at about 9 p.m. on Friday in the Mactan Channel. The channel is about two miles northwest of Cebu City.

The accident brings back memories of the Dec. 20, 1987 disaster that took place nearby Butuan City, when a passenger ferry, the Dona Paz, collided with an oil tanker. The maritime accident took place in the Tablas Strait near Manila.

Somewhere between 1,700 and over 4,000 died in the accident. There have been many claims that the Dona Paz was overcrowded at the time of the crash.