Authorities in the Philippines say it may take weeks or months to identify victims of a ferry fire that killed 76 people, as forensic teams begin examining DNA from charred remains.
Thirteen people remain unaccounted for after the vessel, carrying more than 130 passengers and crew, caught fire while nearing its destination on a voyage from Manila to Coron in Palawan province.
Richard Allan Mangalip, a forensic specialist with the Philippine National Police, said some remains had been found together in sections of the ferry, while others were scattered throughout the ship.
“Most of them are already in a charred condition,” Mr Mangalip told reporters. He said the volume of material requiring examination meant there was no firm timetable for the identification process.
“It could be weeks, or it could be much longer,” he said.
Rescuers recovered 41 additional remains from the ferry a day before Mr Mangalip’s assessment, bringing the death toll to 76. More victims could still be found because flooded areas of the vessel have not been fully searched.
Investigation into Philippine ferry fire continues
Firefighters entered the ship for the first time on Friday, after the blaze had been extinguished more than a day after it began. Images released by the coast guard showed steel bed frames twisted by the heat and coated in ash.
Investigators have yet to establish where the fire started. They are still attempting to reach the lower decks and engine room, where evidence may help determine the cause.
The Maritime Industry Authority said survivor accounts indicated that two explosions were heard inside the vessel shortly before the fire broke out.
A representative of shipowner Atienza Inter-Island Ferries said the company was co-operating fully with the investigation and would continue to assist affected families.
The ferry was travelling south-west from Manila to Coron, a journey that usually takes about 20 hours. The disaster is the latest in a series of deadly maritime accidents in the Philippines, where millions rely on ferries and small boats to travel between the country’s more than 7,600 islands.
