Philippine Ferry Fire Death Toll Hits 76; Victim Identification May Take Months

Philippine authorities confirmed on September 13 that 76 people had died in the fire that swept through the MV June Aster, making it one of the country's deadliest maritime disasters in recent years. Rescue crews recovered 41 additional remains the previous day, raising the toll from 35 to 76. Thirteen people remain unaccounted for.

The fire broke out on the evening of September 9 as the ferry traveled from Manila to Coron, in Palawan province. The ferry was nearing its destination and carrying more than 130 people when the blaze started. Firefighters entered the ferry for the first time on September 11, after extinguishing the fire more than a day after it began.

Forensic specialist Richard Allan Mangalip from the Philippine National Police said most of the recovered remains were in charred condition, with some clustered in parts of the ferry and others scattered across different areas. Investigators have not yet determined where the fire started. DNA samples are being collected from the remains, and Mangalip said identification could take weeks or months.

Photographs released by the Coast Guard showed rows of steel bed frames twisted by heat and covered in ash. Investigators say flooded sections of the ferry have not yet been fully searched, and more remains could still be found.

The disaster adds to a pattern of ferry safety failures across the Pacific. MV Matui, a Vanuatu ferry certified for 30 passengers, capsized on September 12 with 47 people aboard, prompting Vanuatu's prime minister to cancel a UN trip and transfer maritime safety oversight directly to his office.