Philippine Firefighters Enter Charred Ferry as Rescuers Search for 84 Missing
Search teams found bodies as rescuers kept looking for 84 missing passengers after the ferry fire, officials said.
- On Friday, September 11, 2026, firefighters boarded the charred MV June Aster near Coron, Palawan, recovering 30 bodies and raising the death toll to 35. Fifty-four passengers and crew remain missing.
- Thick smoke and extreme heat prevented boarding for 40 hours after the blaze erupted Wednesday evening, September 9, off Turda. Survivors reported two successive explosions, which authorities suspect originated in the cargo hold.
- Philippine Coast Guard officials confirmed 132 individuals were aboard the 53-meter ferry after verifying two listed passengers failed to board. Survivors described rapid fire, noting many lacked time to don life jackets.
- Recovered remains are set for transport to the Port of Borac on Saturday morning for identification. Families gathered at the office of Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, expressing frustration over lack of timely information.
- Recurrent maritime disasters plague the Philippine archipelago, where millions rely on ferries for transport. The 1987 sinking of the Dona Paz, which killed more than 4,300 people, exemplifies systemic safety challenges documented in maritime records.
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154 Articles
The fire on the M/V June Aster ferry, which occurred on Wednesday near Coron, Philippines, killed at least 35 people, according to a provisional assessment. The Coast Guard found 30 bodies on board the wreck, and 54 people were still missing. According to the survivors, the flames, parts of the hold, spread in a few seconds. - Fire from a ferry in the Philippines: at least 30 bodies discovered on board the wreck (International).
On Friday, the Philippine authorities announced that the number of victims of a fire accident aboard the first term of the West Philippines yesterday had risen to 35.
The rescue services found 30 dead passengers on board the MV June Aster after the fire had been destroyed, reported to the Philippine Coast Guard official Noemi Kayabyab. The incident occurred off the coast of the Philippine province of Palau, transferring TASS. "On board the MV June Aster, 30 dead bodies were found after a fire was announced and a safety assessment was carried out," said Kayabab. Based on new data, the total number of victims o…
DOTr: 5 dead, 43 accounted for in MV June Aster incident
MANILA, Philippines — Ongoing search and retrieval operations are still looking for 84 passengers as well as MV June Aster crew members as five fatalities were confirmed while 43 individuals have been accounted for, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Friday cited a manifest verification which indicated 117 ticketed passengers but only 115 boarded the ill-fated vessel along with 17 crew members.D…
At least 35 people died in a fire on a ferry in the west of the Philippines. More than 50 people are still considered missing.
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