35 Dead After Fast-Moving Blaze Engulfs MV June Aster Ferry Off Coron
The official death toll from the MV June Aster ferry disaster off Coron, Palawan, reached 35 following the recovery of 30 additional bodies from the burned vessel. Emergency responders pulled the victims from the ship’s economy accommodation section after a rapid fire swept through the structure, while search units continue operations for 54 passengers and crew members who remain unaccounted for.
Search Teams Pull 30 Victims From Economy Quarters as Cargo Hold Blast Probed
Coast Guard patrol vessels are scheduled to transport the 30 recovered remains into the Port of Borac in Coron, where social workers and security personnel established a command center at a covered basketball court. Police investigators, explosive ordnance disposal experts, and military personnel boarded the grounded ship on rubber craft to inspect the burnt hull after survivors reported a loud explosion in the cargo hold. Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab confirmed that the blaze tore through the ship within seconds, leaving passengers without enough time to put on life jackets before the vessel ran aground on an island off Palawan. A total of 30 passengers and 13 crew members were rescued from the water, while vessel operator Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc stated it is fully cooperating with the official investigation.
The tragedy follows the sinking of the triple-decker ferry M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 off the southern Philippines in January, which resulted in at least 52 fatalities.
