Ferry Fire Death Toll Rises To 76

An additional 41 charred remains were recovered on top of the 35 earlier reported following a fire involving the MV June Aster in Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Saturday, Sept. 12.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the total number of confirmed fatalities is now 76.

Cayabyab said the 41 bodies will be transported by BRP Cape Engaño .

She said the number of survivors remains at 43.

Cayabyab said based on the ticket manifest of 134 individuals, 13 remain unaccounted for while two reported that they did not board the vessel. 

“This figure may still change as recovery and identification operations continue,” the PCG said. 

Firefighters found the 30 remains after they gained access to the vessel for the first time, having extinguished a fire that had hampered search and rescue efforts since Wednesday night.

Responders in protective suits were seen carrying black body bags from a small boat onto a Coast Guard vessel, video footage released by the Coast Guard showed.

Thick smoke and extreme heat had earlier prevented rescuers from entering the ferry, which was carrying more than 130 people when it was engulfed in flames.

As authorities hoped for more survivors, some families expressed frustration at the lack of information they were receiving. 

“We recognize the grief of the families affected by this tragic incident. Rest assured that operations are carried out with utmost respect for the deceased and their bereaved families,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemi Cayabyab said.

Images released by the Coast Guard showed the destruction caused by the fire inside the ferry, with rows of accommodation berths reduced to twisted metal and ash.

One image showed what appeared to be skeletal remains amid charred debris in a heavily damaged section of the vessel.

Another photograph appeared to show a burned vehicle.

Captain missing

The captain of the ill-fated ship is missing after he was initially presumed to be one of the survivors, the PCG said.

Cayabyab identified the captain of the roll-on, roll-off ship MV June Aster as Roel Sarmiento, who is now facing possible charges after abandoning his responsibility. 

“Based on the statements of the survivors, after the incident the captain was with the crew who went to the Barangay Turda covered court,” Cayabyab said. 

“That was the initial information from the other crew, but then again, we are now basing all the documents submitted to us, particularly the survivors’ list. The name of the captain is not reflected in the survivors’ list,” Cayabyab said. 

“This brings the total number of individuals on board to 132, instead of the initially reported 134, after two individuals listed on the manifest confirmed that they did not board the vessel,” Cayabyab added. 

She added that the figures remain fluid and may change as the PCG receives further developments from the ongoing operations in Coron. 

According to Cayabyab, the PCG is closely coordinating with Atienza Shipping Lines, the ship’s owner, regarding the whereabouts of the captain. 

“The captain has a great responsibility. With the number of missing, with the number of casualties, definitely the captain has a big responsibility and liability. All the cargo, passengers, starting from its port of origin until the port of destination, should be delivered safely,” Cayabyab noted.

PCG incident commander Commodore Geronimo Tuvilla said he was directed to assist the ongoing operations in Palawan. 

“As of now and since this incident happened, the main objective here is for the respectful management of the recovery and of course to determine the cause of the fire, just like the things that are lingering in our minds and we are trying to get facts,” he said. 

“In fact, I wanted to tell you that we’re also gathering what our other media personalities have obtained, their statements other than the video and the sworn statements,” Tuvilla said. 

He added that the PCG’s main objective is the rescue or recovery of the other victims.

“And the reason why we also limit some (information) is purposely to show empathy to the loved ones of the victims,” Tuvilla added. 

He said the PCG is gathering the sworn statements of the crew members, the personal accounts of survivors to form part of the investigation.

“This is not a very big ship. It’s a 50-plus-meter ship. Commodore Cayabyab will be flying in after this to support the ongoing efforts of our people there in Palawan,” Tuvilla said. 

The MV June Aster departed the Port of Manila at 8:13 p.m. on Tuesday and was expected to arrive at the Port of Coron, Palawan at 6 p.m. the following day. But at 6:45 p.m., fire broke out, with the ship just 2.2 kilometers offshore.

Tragic tales 

Richard Marceliano, one of the survivors, told GMA News he saw a small amount of smoke that quickly turned into a raging fire and spread through the ferry within seconds. 

He said he and other passengers spent nearly two hours floating in the sea before they were rescued. 

The fire is the latest in a string of deadly maritime accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands where millions rely on ferries and small boats to travel between provinces and islands.

In January, more than 60 people died when a passenger vessel, carrying more than 300 people, sank en route to the southern province of Sulu. 

As the search continued, stories of those still unaccounted for began to emerge.

A trip meant to celebrate a renewal of wedding vows instead brought grief and uncertainty for Jonnsban Tibay, 60, who fears his wife, Eden, was among those trapped in the ferry.

He had not accompanied her, and the couple were on a video call as the fire broke out. “She said, ‘We’re leaving now.’ I told her not to hang up and that we should keep the video call going. I was about to ask her to join our prayer when the call suddenly cut off,” he said.

Tibay does not believe his wife was able to escape.

“I’m 100 percent certain she didn’t jump. She must have been trapped,” he said. “She was diabetic and physically weak. She was no longer as agile as before.”

“It hurts so much,” Tibay said. “My two children can’t stop crying.” 

At a port in Coron, Myra Bilan, whose sister and brother-in-law are missing, sobbed. Bilan, 47, said the couple had been traveling to Palawan on business to deliver beds.

“I hope our government takes action. So many people have died,” she said. “I hope they don’t turn a blind eye to poor families like us.” 

Outside the office of shipowner Atienza Inter-Island Ferries in Manila, frustrated relatives waited for information about their loved ones. 

The ferry company has said it was fully cooperating with government authorities investigating the incident.

It remained unclear what started the blaze, which broke out as the ferry neared the end of its more than 20-hour voyage to Coron, a popular tourist spot in northern Palawan. 

A statement from the Maritime Industry Authority, citing survivor accounts, said two successive explosions were heard from within the ship, triggering the fire. 

The ferry, with capacity for 330 people, was also carrying five motorcycles, an electric vehicle, a forklift, a pickup truck and other cargo, according to the Coast Guard.

2 Chileans survive

The PCG confirmed that two Chilean nationals were among the survivors and had left Coron after close coordination with their embassy.

Cayabyab said retrieval and transfer of the recovered bodies began at 5:16 p.m. on Friday utilizing the BRP Cape Engaño.

She said no oil spill or oil sheen was observed as of yesterday and an oil spill boom was laid out as a precautionary measure, adding that a total of 60 assets, including larger vessels and a PCG helicopter, are currently deployed in the area.

Inquiry begins

The PCG has tapped the Maritime Safety Investigation and Maritime Crime Investigation to establish the main cause of the fire and determine who is liable for the tragic incident.

“Currently, our focus is retrieval. And after that, we will proceed with the investigation. For the safety investigation, we have already started the conduct of inquiry among the survivors,” Cayabyab said.

She said the cargo deck of MV June Aster remains flooded. 

“We will determine later on the possible factors because as we mentioned, the first statement from the survivors was that the loud explosion came from the cargo deck. So definitely, that’s what we’re looking at. But we are now more cautious when it comes to penetrating the area that is still flooded,” Cayabyab added. 

She said the probe will look into the claims of the survivors that many passengers were trapped. 

“That would form part of our investigation, including the emergency protocols. We will be checking on that because based on the statement of the witnesses, the incident happened too quickly.  

“And there may be a probability of a liability from the crew, from the captain and the shipping company. After this incident was reported, what did the crew do? Did the captain of the boat give instructions? Because supposedly in any incident on board the vessel, there should be an emergency procedure,” she added.

Cayabyab said there should have been a warning from the captain of the vessel.

“We will still be checking on that. That’s why we always emphasize that the presence and statement of the captain is really important in the determination of the cause of this incident,” Cayabyab added. 

She assured the public that all possible angles will be looked into, including a possible terrorism act and that the electric vehicle in the cargo deck caused the fire.  

The vessel also carried five motorcycles, one electric car, one fork lift, one pick-up van and essential goods.

Cayabyab said the PCG has yet to rule out that the ferry was overloaded.

“We have 134 (passengers) based on the ticket manifest. It means it is still within the allowable maximum capacity of passengers, which is 333,” Cayabyab said. 

The PCG is also looking at claims that certain family members were on board the ship but were not included in the manifest. 

“We really need to know how many more we are looking for. We are just basing these numbers on the ticket manifest submitted to us,” she said. – With an additional report from Reuters