Key facts
- The death toll from a fire on a Philippine ferry has risen to 35.
- Rescuers recovered 30 bodies from the burned-out MV June Aster.
- 54 people are still missing.
- The ferry was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
- The fire broke out Wednesday evening near Coron, Palawan.
- Preliminary interviews suggest the fire started in the cargo hold.
Rescuers recovered 30 bodies from a burned-out Philippine ferry, increasing the death toll to 35, after extinguishing a fire that had hampered search efforts since Wednesday night. The MV June Aster, carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members, was nearing its destination at the tourist hotspot of Coron in Palawan when the blaze erupted at 18:45 local time on Wednesday.