Palawan Ferry Fire Death Toll Reaches 35, 53 Still Missing

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 8:52 a.m.) — The death toll from the ferry fire off Coron, Palawan has risen to 35, with 43 survivors and 53 people still missing, the Philippine Coast Guard said Saturday. The latest figures were provided during the PCG's September 12 press briefing, a day after authorities recovered 30 cadavers from the burned vessel. The PCG earlier said the fire aboard the MV June Aster was declared out at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Friday, September 11. Authorities then conducted a safety assessment of the vessel, during which burnt remains were observed in the economy accommodation area. PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the retrieval and transfer of the cadavers began at around 5:16 p.m. on Friday using the BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411). The recovered remains were scheduled to be transported to the Port of Borac in Coron, Palawan on Saturday morning, with an estimated arrival time of 11 a.m. Cayabyab earlier said more bodies remained aboard the vessel after the initial 30 cadavers were transferred to the Coast Guard patrol boat. The fire erupted on Wednesday after survivors reported hearing a loud explosion, followed by smoke and flames. The fire erupted on Wednesday after survivors reported hearing a loud explosion, followed by smoke and flames. Cayabyab said that the fire spread very quickly, with "everything" happening within seconds. The PCG earlier said burnt remains were observed in the economy accommodation area during the safety assessment. The Coast Guard, Philippine National Police-Scene of the Crime Operations and other concerned agencies are conducting the recovery and identification of the remains. The PCG also deployed oil spill booms as a precautionary measure after an assessment found no signs of oil sheen in the surrounding waters. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Hundreds of people desperate for news about the incident have taken to leaving comments on the Facebook page of a local mayor, searching for relatives, friends and even a dog. The ferry's manifest listed 134 crew and passengers, but two had not boarded, according to the Coast Guard. The ferry was also carrying goods, an electric vehicle, a pickup truck and motorcycles. The archipelago nation of 116 million has a long history of disasters involving the inter-island ferries that ply its seas. Many rely on cheap and poorly regulated boats and ships for transport between the country's more than 7,000 islands, despite regular accidents. In January, a triple-decker ferry carrying more than 340 people sank off the southern Philippines, killing at least 52 people. The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 sank along nearly the same route where 31 people died in 2023 after a fire broke out aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry. Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., the company that owns the vessel, earlier said it was cooperating with the investigation. — with a report from Agence France-Presse