Thirty charred bodies recovered from a burned passenger ferry in the western Philippines arrived at a port on Saturday for identification. The fire aboard the MV June Aster killed at least 35 people and left more than 50 others missing earlier this week.
Retrieval operations are ongoing, as officials believe more bodies remain inside the vessel. There were 43 survivors among the 132 people initially reported to be on board. The ferry departed from Manila and was nearing its destination, the Port of Coron, when the fire erupted Wednesday evening.
The cause of the blaze remains undetermined. However, one survivor reported hearing a blast, after which smoke and fire rapidly spread, fanned by the wind, according to officials. Investigators are examining all potential causes and liabilities, including those of the captain and crew.
At the Port of Borac in Coron, Palawan, tents were erected and body bags were transported from a ship that brought them from the ferry. The bodies were handed over to the Provincial Forensic Unit for identification. The coast guard stated that authorities are seeking the ship's captain, who reportedly survived the incident but is not accounted for among the official list of survivors.
Survivors recounted that the incident unfolded rapidly, leaving no time to retrieve life jackets. A tarpaulin that had shielded the open areas of the ship from rain is being considered as a potential contributing factor, though it is unclear if it trapped passengers. Investigators will also verify if standard fire emergency procedures, such as sounding an alarm and providing instructions, were followed, and if the crew assisted passengers.
Images released by the coast guard depicted the ship's charred interior, with what appeared to be human remains, ashes, and burnt metal, including a vehicle.
Arnulfo Nokki Villanueva, a survivor, described the panic and chaos inside the ferry as the fire spread quickly. He stated that he could not obtain a life jacket amid the pandemonium.
Lira Daco, whose 20-year-old daughter is missing, expressed her anguish at the possibility of her daughter burning to death and the difficulty of identifying her remains.
According to the ferry's manifest, 134 individuals were aboard, comprising 117 passengers and 17 crew. The 53-meter vessel had a capacity for 306 passengers and 27 crew. Two individuals listed on the manifest had informed authorities that they did not board the ship.
Two of the survivors were tourists from Chile, according to a representative from the ship's owner, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc. Authorities have been in contact with their embassy.
The shipping company has stated it is providing assistance to those on board and their families, while cooperating with maritime officials to locate missing passengers and ascertain the fire's cause.
Coron is a well-known tourist destination in the Philippines, famed for its natural beauty. Ferries are a common mode of transportation throughout the Philippine archipelago, and maritime accidents are not infrequent. These incidents can be attributed to storms, vessel maintenance issues, overcrowding, and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations, particularly in remote areas. The Philippines experienced its deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in 1987 when the ferry Dona Paz sank after a collision, resulting in over 4,300 fatalities.