A devastating ferry fire off the coast of the popular Philippine tourist destination Coron has left at least 35 people dead, with search operations ongoing to locate more than 50 missing passengers and crew members, Philippine Coast Guard officials confirmed Friday.
The blaze broke out Wednesday onboard the MV June Aster, an interisland ferry operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, as the vessel neared the end of its 22-hour voyage from Manila to Coron. A total of 134 people were on board when the fire ignited – 117 passengers and 17 crew members. So far, only 43 people have been pulled from the burning vessel alive, with many of the survivors hospitalized for burn injuries and smoke inhalation.
By Friday, search teams had recovered 30 additional bodies from the ferry’s charred wreckage, pushing the confirmed death toll from an earlier count of five to 35. Toxic fumes and persistent residual heat from the fire prevented rescuers from accessing the vessel until two days after the blaze erupted, and Coast Guard officials confirmed more remains are still trapped inside the hull. Most of the recovered bodies have been found in the ferry’s passenger sleeping quarters, according to Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, a Coast Guard spokesperson.
“Agencies are currently undertaking the proper recovery and identification of the remains in accordance with established procedures,” Cayabyab told reporters during a press briefing. “We recognise the grief of the families affected by this tragic incident.”
Preliminary interviews with survivors indicate the fire originated in the ferry’s cargo hold, investigators have found. Rescuers also noted that multiple passengers were not wearing life vests when the emergency unfolded, a detail that could raise questions about safety compliance. One survivor who spoke to the BBC described chaotic scenes as the fire spread, recalling hearing frantic screams from trapped passengers and being trampled by a crowd of panicking people as he attempted to flee the burning vessel.
The Philippines’ national maritime authority has launched a full investigation into the incident to determine the root cause of the fire. The 24-year-old ferry, constructed in 2002, was documented to hold valid safety certifications and passed a mandatory enforcement inspection as recently as March this year, local outlet Palawan Daily reported. Despite the passing inspection, investigators are probing a series of potential factors, including possible discrepancies in the passenger and cargo manifest, whether the cargo was loaded properly and securely, and whether the crew followed appropriate emergency response protocols when the fire broke out.
In a public statement released Thursday, the ferry’s operating company Atienza Interisland Ferries pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation and extended condolences to the families of those killed and missing. “Our hearts remain with the affected families, and we will not rest until all individuals are accounted for,” the statement read.