Philippine ferry fire death toll rises to 76 as rescuers search charred vessel

Rapid blaze off Coron coast

The MV June Aster was nearing the end of its 20-hour voyage from the Baseco port area in Manila to Coron on Wednesday evening when flames erupted on board. The ferry was carrying 132 registered passengers and crew members, though officials later clarified that two individuals listed on the passenger manifest had not boarded the vessel. Around 6:45 p.m. local time, approximately 2.2 kilometres from its destination near Marcilla village on Coron Island, thick smoke and flames engulfed the lower decks. Surviving passengers reported hearing two successive explosions in the cargo hold before fire swept rapidly through the passenger accommodations. High winds accelerated the spread across the decks within seconds, forcing passengers to jump into the water before they could retrieve life jackets. Rescuers pulled 43 survivors, consisting of 30 passengers and 13 crew members, from the sea that evening.

Search operations and recovery of remains

Firefighters brought the blaze under control and entered the vessel for the first time on Friday, more than a day after it broke out. Sea conditions caused the drifting vessel to move nearly eight nautical miles from its initial distress location before grounding on an islet off Coron. Rescuers initially found five victims immediately after the incident and retrieved 30 more on Friday, though patrol boat capacity limited that initial transport. On Saturday, search teams led by Commander Geronimo Tuvilla recovered 41 additional charred remains, primarily clustered in the economy class section of the vessel. That discovery raised the confirmed death toll from 35 to 76, leaving 13 people unaccounted for. Philippine Coast Guard teams stated that the toll could change further because flooded compartments inside the vessel have not yet been fully inspected.

Most of them are already in a charred condition.

Identification process and forensic challenges

Coast Guard personnel transported the recovered bodies in bags to temporary tents set up at the port in Coron. Forensic specialists from the Philippine National Police, led by Richard Allan Mangalip, have begun the process of collecting DNA samples from the charred remains. Authorities announced that victims will be buried temporarily while genetic testing is completed, as the severity of the burns prevents visual identification in most cases. Families searching for relatives are first asked to examine personal belongings and photographs before submitting comparative DNA samples. Relatives have gathered at port facilities and posted inquiries on municipal social media channels to locate missing passengers.

Investigation into safety and command liability

The Philippine Coast Guard and Scene of the Crime Operatives have initiated formal inquiries into the vessel's safety compliance and emergency responses. Maritime authorities are reviewing the ship captain's decisions during the opening minutes of the disaster, noting that his name was absent from the roster of 43 survivors despite reports suggesting he remained alive. Vessel operator Atienza Interisland Ferries issued a statement pledging full transparency with investigators and offering lodging, transportation, and medical support to affected families. Inter-island ferries remain the primary mode of transit across the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, where past maritime incidents include a ferry sinking off the southern coast in January that killed dozens of people.

With the number of missing and the number of capacity, definitely there is liability here.