PNP Joins Search For Missing Ferry Passengers

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has mobilized search and rescue teams to assist in efforts to locate the missing passengers of roll-on, roll-off passenger ferry MV June Aster, which caught fire off Coron in Palawan, leaving at least five people dead.

June Aster departed the Port of Manila at 8:13 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and was expected to arrive at the Port of Coron at 6 p.m. the following day. But at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, a fire broke out while the ferry was 2.2 kilometers offshore.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said that Maritime Group personnel have joined the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the search for 84 people who were aboard the ferry.

“Time is crucial and essential for this kind of unfortunate incident and we continue to assist and deploy as many of our available personnel and resources to assist, especially in the conduct of search and rescue for the missing passengers and crew,” he said.

Police units in Palawan, particularly in coastal areas near the site, are coordinating with barangay officials for search and rescue operations.

Medical and other response teams are also in the area to look after the survivors and assist in identifying cadavers.

To fast-track the probe, Nartatez ordered police units to assist in the investigation to find out what caused the fire and establish who could be held liable for the tragedy.

Fire out

Authorities declared the fire aboard MV June Aster out at 10:15 a.m. yesterday, the PCG said, adding that burnt remains were discovered during the assessment.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the Coast Guard response team conducted a thorough safety assessment, during which burnt remains were observed within the economy section of the vessel.

“The PCG, PNP-SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) and other concerned agencies are currently undertaking the proper recovery and identification of the remains in accordance with established procedures,” Cayabyab said.

The PCG has yet to give the actual numbers of burnt remains found. 

Cayabyab earlier said that verified casualties remain at five, with 43 survivors and 84 still missing. 

“We also got the composition of the survivors. We have 30 passengers and 13 crew,” she said.

Cayabyab noted the number of missing people went down to 84 from 86, after two passengers who were part of the manifest reported that they were not able to board the ship.

She said the PCG laid out oil spill booms as a precautionary measure, even as an assessment found no signs of oil sheen in the surrounding waters.

She added the chances that the ferry will sink are quite remote, as it “is sitting on a rock in that area.”

Authorities are not discounting the possibility of terrorism as cause of the fire that broke out aboard June Aster on Wednesday night.

In an interview with dzBB, Cayabyab was reacting to reports that the incident was an act of terrorism.

“We heard that too, so we are not discounting all the information that we will receive. Well, probably the reason for that was we saw an explosion, so that thing is somewhat connected.” – With an additional report from Bella Cariaso