Rescuers pull more bodies from burned Philippine ferry as death toll hits 76
CORON, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers retrieved more remains from a passenger ferry in the Philippine that was gutted by fire, bringing the death toll on Saturday to 76 with 13 missing. Forty-three people survived the fire on Wednesday night among the 132 on board. The ferry sailed from the capital, Manila, and was some 39 kilometers (24 miles) […] The post Rescuers pull more bodies from burned…
Rescuers in the Philippines have recovered additional bodies from a ferry that caught fire, raising the death toll to 76 with 13 people still missing. The ferry, MV June Aster, was en route from Manila to Coron in Palawan province when the fire broke out on Wednesday night. Out of the 132 people on board, 43 managed to survive the inferno.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, although a survivor reported hearing a blast and seeing smoke and flames rapidly engulf the vessel. Tents have been erected in the Port of Borac in Coron to store body bags brought from the ferry. The Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, stated that authorities are searching for the ship's captain, who reportedly survived but is not among the listed survivors.
The multi-agency investigation will examine all aspects, including the captain and crew's liability. Survivors recounted that the fire spread quickly with no time to deploy life jackets. A tarpaulin shielding the open areas of the ship from rain might have contributed to the tragedy but cannot be confirmed at this time.
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