The death toll from a fire aboard the Philippine ferry MV June Aster has risen to 35 after rescuers recovered more bodies from the burned-out vessel near Coron in Palawan.
Fifty-four people remain unaccounted for and 43 survived the blaze, which erupted on Wednesday night as the ship approached its destination. The ferry had sailed from Manila and was about 7.4km from the village of Turda when the fire was reported.
Philippine Coast Guard teams recovered 30 bodies from the wreck on Friday, with officials warning that more victims may still be inside. The vessel was carrying passengers, crew and vehicles, including a car, when it caught fire.
Rescue efforts were initially delayed by intense heat and thick smoke. Investigators, police and army personnel later boarded small boats to reach the ferry, which had run aground near Coron.
Coast Guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said survivors reported hearing a loud explosion near the cargo hold before the flames spread rapidly.
“Everything happened in seconds,” she told reporters, saying some passengers had no time to put on life jackets before jumping into the water.
Survivor Arnulfo Nokki Villanueva said he fell to the floor as the fire spread and suffered burns to his back. He said people stepped over him as passengers panicked and fought to escape.
“I wanted to get a life jacket but failed to get one because people were stepping on me,” he said in an account broadcast by News5.
The ferry’s manifest listed 134 people on board, including 117 passengers and 17 crew, although two passengers later told authorities they had not boarded. The 53-metre vessel was certified to carry up to 306 passengers and 27 crew.
The cause of the fire has not been established. The Coast Guard is examining whether there was negligence in the crew’s response and whether the ship’s operator could face liability.
Atienza Interisland Ferries, which owns the MV June Aster, said it was co-operating with the investigation and would provide assistance with burial and transport costs for victims.
The company’s representative said two survivors were tourists from Chile and were being treated in hospital in Coron. No other foreign passengers were known to have been aboard.
Among those waiting for news was Lira Daco, whose 20-year-old daughter Cyriel remains missing. She said the condition of the recovered remains made identification especially difficult.
“It’s OK if she just drowned and we can recover her body and give her a proper burial,” she said. “But now we can’t recognise or hug her.”
The MV June Aster passed a vessel safety inspection in March, according to the Coast Guard, which said the ship was found compliant at the time. Officials have since ordered tighter pre-departure checks on ferries across the Philippines.
