Philippine Coast Guard finds bodies aboard ferry after blaze
Philippine coast guard discovered bodies aboard ferry consumed in a blaze that swept through it in seconds, officials said Friday.
The Philippine Coast Guard discovered bodies aboard a ferry that caught fire and sank near the tourist destination of Coron in Palawan. The M/V June Aster was engulfed in flames "in seconds" after the blaze erupted in the cargo hold, as per the coast guard spokeswoman. Five deaths have been confirmed, but the death toll is expected to rise.
The ship, carrying 134 crew and passengers, ran aground, leaving 84 people unaccounted for. The fire allegedly spread so rapidly that survivors had no time to put on life jackets. Rescue efforts included a pair of small rubber boats, police investigators, explosive ordnance disposal experts, and army personnel. A family member of one of the missing, Myra Cabilan, expressed her despair, saying she had lost hope for her brother's survival.
The ferry's manifest listed 134 crew and passengers, but two did not board. The incident is not the first disaster involving inter-island ferries in the archipelago nation; a triple-decker ferry sank in January, killing at least 52 people. The M/V June Aster's owner, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, stated they were cooperating fully with the investigation.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
