Deaths in Philippines ferry fire rises to at least 35
A fire which broke out on a passenger ferry in the Philippines has killed at least 35 people, while 54 are still missing.
The Philippine coast guard has recovered 30 bodies from a ferry engulfed in flames, with more individuals remaining on board, according to a spokeswoman on Friday. The incident occurred on the M/V June Aster, which ran aground near the popular tourist destination of Coron in Palawan after a fire ignited on Wednesday. Coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab stated that a patrol boat would be used to transport the recovered remains, which will arrive in the Port of Borac on Saturday morning.
Thirty passengers and 13 crew members have been rescued thus far, while 54 people are still unaccounted for. The fire reportedly began in the cargo hold and spread rapidly through the vessel within seconds, leaving those who managed to escape without time to put on life jackets. Coast guard investigators, explosive ordnance disposal experts, and army personnel are currently boarding a pair of small rubber boats to reach the grounded ship.
Myra Cabilan, who traveled to Coron to locate her missing brother, Rammel Gonzaga, expressed her despair, stating that despite her belief he had survived, he remains missing and she has lost hope. The ferry's manifest indicated 134 crew and passengers, but two individuals did not board. The vessel was also carrying goods, an electric vehicle, a pickup truck, and motorcycles.
The archipelago nation of 116 million people has a history of disasters involving the numerous inter-island ferries that traverse its waters. Many rely on these cheap and poorly regulated boats and ships for transportation between the country's over 7,000 islands, despite a long track record of accidents. In January, a triple-decker ferry carrying over 340 people sank off the southern Philippines, claiming at least 52 lives.
The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 sank along a similar route in 2023, resulting in 31 deaths after a fire erupted aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry. The company owning the M/V June Aster, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, affirmed its cooperation with the ongoing investigation.
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