30 bodies recovered from ferry fire; more remains aboard

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities have recovered 30 cadavers from the MV June Aster, which caught fire off Coron, Palawan, with more remains believed to still be aboard the vessel.

In a Facebook post on Friday, September 11, the Philippine Coast Guard said the retrieval came after authorities declared the fire aboard the vessel out at approximately 10:15 a.m. and conducted a safety assessment, 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. using the BRP Cape Engaño (MRRV-4411).

The remains are scheduled to be transported to the Port of Borac in Coron, Palawan on Saturday, September 12, with an estimated arrival time of 11 a.m.

Cayabyab said that more bodies remained aboard the vessel after 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. 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.

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