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Philippine ferry fire off Coron: death toll leaps from 35 to 76 as charred bodies are recovered

A fire broke out on the MV June Aster on the evening of Wednesday, September 9, as it neared Coron in northern Palawan after sailing from Manila with 132 passengers and crew. By Saturday morning, September 12, The Guardian reported 35 dead and 54 unaccounted for, as the first 30 bodies arrived at the port. Later that day Al Jazeera reported that the coast guard had retrieved 41 more charred bodies, bringing the toll to 76.

The coast guard said the fire began in the cargo hold, and survivors reported successive explosions before flames swept the passenger areas. The ferry was 2.2km from its destination. Only 43 people were rescued; many had no time to put on lifejackets. The ship was also carrying goods, an electric vehicle, a pickup truck and motorcycles.

“Everything happened in seconds.” — Noemie Cayabyab, coast guard spokesperson, via The Guardian

Al Jazeera said the captain's actions in the first minutes are under review; the operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries, promised “full transparency” and support for families.

How each outlet framed it

• The Guardian — families searching for relatives and the country's long record of ferry disasters.
• Al Jazeera — the rising toll, DNA identification and talk of liability.
• New Straits Times — the Malaysian paper reported the first bodies landing as the toll hit 35.
• The National — the UAE paper headlined at least 76 confirmed dead.

Where the numbers differ: 35 dead in the morning and 76 by the evening as more remains were recovered; the coast guard said the count would grow.