Death toll rises to at least 35 as charred bodies arrive from Philippine ferry fire
A fire aboard the MV June Aster, a 53‑metre passenger ferry traveling from Manila toward Coron, killed at least 35 people and left more than 50 still unaccounted for. Thirty charred bodies have been delivered to the Port of Borac in Coron for identification, while 43 passengers survived the blaze, including two Chilean tourists who have since left the area. The vessel, owned by Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., was declared fully extinguished on Friday morning, and precautionary oil‑spill containment booms have been placed though no spill has been detected. Authorities continue to search for the missing and to investigate the cause of the fire.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 8h later
- Reported people missing range from 5 to 87 across outlets
- Coverage peaked at 11 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
The disaster highlights ongoing safety gaps in Philippine maritime transport and the human toll of ferry accidents.
How this story developed
- Sep 9 Fire breaks out on MV June Aster carrying over 100 passengers near Coron
- Sep 10 Rescue teams have saved 28 passengers and taken them to a basketball court in Brgy. Turda.
- Sep 10 Authorities began focusing on locating the missing passengers.
- Sep 11 Rescue numbers rose to 43 as the search for remaining passengers continued.
- Sep 11 Fire declared out and burnt bodies observed on the vessel.
- Sep 12 Thirty charred bodies were delivered to Coron for identification, raising the confirmed death count to at least 35.
