The death toll from Wednesday evening’s fire aboard the M/V June Aster has reached 35, and the Philippines coast guard warned Saturday that it would rise further. The vessel ran aground near Coron, Palawan, after the fire swept through it within seconds.
Thirty passengers and 13 crew members have been rescued, while 54 people remain unaccounted for, according to the coast guard.
Bodies taken for identification as retrieval continues
Tents were being prepared at the port to receive the recovered bodies. Coast guard spokesperson Noemie Cayabyab said the remains would be handed to police forensic investigators for identification and proper disposition before local authorities notified relatives.
The first transfer was limited by the capacity of the patrol vessel carrying the bodies. Additional cadavers remained aboard the ferry, and Cayabyab said authorities would provide an update on how many were still there. Police investigators arrived at the port after the press conference.
Key figures
- 30 bodies were transferred from the ferry to a port near Coron on Saturday morning.
- Five other deaths had been confirmed immediately after the fire.
- The ferry’s manifest listed 134 crew members and passengers, although two people had not boarded.
- The vessel was carrying goods, an electric vehicle, a pickup truck and motorcycles.
Survivors described a fire that spread within seconds
Cayabyab said survivors reported hearing a loud explosion followed by smoke and flames. The fire began in the cargo hold before spreading through the ship, leaving passengers too little time to put on lifejackets before escaping. Read the context: Philippines ferry fire leaves five dead and 87 unaccounted for.
Myra Cabilan travelled to Coron looking for her missing brother, Rammel Gonzaga, who had taken the ferry from Manila on a business trip. She said his wife had given birth to their daughter a month earlier.
Owner says it is cooperating with investigation
Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, the company that owns the M/V June Aster, said on Thursday that it was fully cooperating with the investigation. The coast guard said its immediate focus was recovering victims before investigators examined what happened.
The incident has prompted relatives and others seeking information to post on the Facebook page of a local mayor, looking for missing family members, friends and a dog.
What happens next
The coast guard said authorities would continue retrieval operations and then proceed with the investigation, while police forensic investigators work on identification.
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