Death toll from Philippine ferry fire rises to 76

The death toll from a Philippine ferry fire has risen to 76, with 13 people still missing, after search teams recovered additional remains from the passenger vessel off Palawan province.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said in a statement on Saturday that 41 more charred bodies were retrieved from the ferry.

M/V June Aster was sailing from Manila, carrying 132 passengers and crew, when a blaze engulfed its lower decks on Wednesday evening, just 2.2 kilometres (1.3 miles) off its destination of Coron, in northern Palawan.

Rescuers pulled 43 survivors from the water that night.

Investigators, citing survivor accounts, reported hearing successive explosions before flames swept rapidly through the passenger areas.

“The wind may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, based on the survivors’ accounts,” said Commodore Noemi Cayabyab, spokesperson for the PCG, according to local media outlet the Inquirer.

“Some passengers reportedly jumped into the water after seeing the fire and may not have had time to retrieve their life jackets.”

According to authorities, forensic teams and local police are working to identify victims using personal belongings and DNA matching.

“The PCG, [the Philippine National Police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives] and other concerned agencies are currently undertaking the proper recovery and identification of the remains in accordance with established procedures,” Cayabyab said.

Safety procedures and the ship captain’s actions during the early minutes of the disaster are under formal review, maritime officials said.

“With the number of missing and the number of capacity, definitely there is liability here,” Cayabyab added regarding the vessel’s command.

The ferry operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries, issued a statement committing to “full transparency” and assisting affected families with lodging, transportation and medical care as investigations continue.