Philippine rescue workers said on Saturday (September 12) that 41 charred bodies were found in the passenger ferry that caught fire, bringing the death toll to 76, with 13 people still missing. This incident marks one of the deadliest maritime accidents globally this year.
The ferry fire occurred on September 9 near Coron in Palawan province, on board the MV June Aster ferry carrying 132 passengers, sailing from Manila to Coron. The fire broke out after more than 20 hours of sailing, approximately 24 miles (about 39 kilometers) away from its destination.
According to reports from Reuters citing the Philippine Coast Guard, after retrieving 30 bodies on Friday (September 11), another 41 bodies were discovered on Saturday. These bodies were mainly found in the ferry’s economy section.
Due to thick smoke and high temperatures, firefighters were only able to board the vessel more than a day after the fire was extinguished.
Images released by the Coast Guard showed steel bed frames inside the ship twisted and charred from the heat, covered in ash, with some scenes revealing skeletons among the debris.
In a port in Coron, rescue workers set up temporary tents for forensic teams to process and identify the bodies of the deceased. Clad in protective gear, rescue workers continued to move black body bags from the Coast Guard ships to the tents, while anxious families waited nearby for updates.
As of Saturday, 43 survivors have been confirmed.
Anelyn Magbanua, 37, shared that her husband boarded the ferry back to Coron after visiting their child in Manila. She expressed, “I hope he is not among the dead. I hope he is still alive, just drifted to another island.” She added, “If he really is gone, it will be very hard to accept, he loves his child very much.”
Survivors cited by the Philippine Maritime Agency mentioned that there were explosions heard on the ship shortly before the fire broke out. Another survivor interviewed by GMA News recalled seeing a small amount of smoke before the fire quickly engulfed the entire ferry.
Coast Guard official Geronimo Tuvilla stated on Saturday at a press conference that the current priority is to identify the victims and determine the cause of the fire.
Coast Guard spokesperson Noemie Cayabyab noted unconfirmed reports of the captain surviving, though his name was not included in the list of 43 survivors.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, with maritime safety and criminal investigations ongoing.
The Philippines is composed of over 7,600 islands, with millions of people relying on ferries and small boats for travel between provinces and islands. This incident is the latest in a series of deadly maritime accidents in the country.
In recent months, several other countries and regions have also experienced major ferry accidents.
In August, a state-owned ferry in Zimbabwe capsized on Lake Kariba, resulting in at least 94 deaths among approximately 180 passengers, with a capacity for only 90 people. The official media in the country described it as one of the most severe accidents in its history.
In August, a ferry carrying 271 passengers in Indonesia caught fire, leading to at least 5 fatalities.
At the end of August, a ferry traveling from Kyrenia in Cyprus to Turkey capsized, resulting in at least 8 deaths.
In July, an 87-year-old state-owned ferry, MV Barima, capsized off the coast of Guyana, with an estimated death toll of around 100 people and at least 69 rescued.