Key facts
- The death toll from a fire aboard the MV June Aster ferry in the Philippines has risen to 76.
- Rescuers recovered 41 additional bodies on Saturday.
- Thirteen people are still unaccounted for.
- The ferry was carrying more than 130 people when the fire broke out.
- Survivor accounts suggest two explosions were heard inside the vessel shortly before the fire started.
- The fire broke out near the end of the ferry's more than 20-hour journey.
Authorities in the Philippines said on Sunday it could take weeks or months to identify the 76 victims of a ferry fire, as forensic experts began collecting and comparing DNA samples from charred remains. The MV June Aster was carrying more than 130 people and nearing its destination after a 20-hour journey from Manila to Coron when it caught fire.
Forensic specialist Richard Allan Mangalip from the Philippine National Police stated that many of the remains were in a charred condition, scattered across different areas of the ship, and some were clustered together. He noted that the volume of specimens requiring examination meant identification could take weeks or longer.
The death toll rose to 76 on Saturday after rescuers recovered 41 additional remains. Thirteen people remain unaccounted for, and officials indicated more bodies might be found in flooded sections of the vessel that have not yet been fully searched. Firefighters gained access to the ferry's economy accommodation section on Friday after extinguishing the blaze, which had broken out more than a day earlier.
Investigators are still trying to determine the fire's origin and access key areas like the flooded lower decks and engine room. Survivor accounts cited by the Maritime Industry Authority suggest two explosions were heard inside the vessel shortly before the fire erupted. A representative for the shipowner, Atienza Inter-Island Ferries, stated the company is cooperating with investigators and assisting affected families.
This incident is the latest in a series of deadly maritime accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago where ferries are a crucial mode of transport for millions.