June Aster ferry fire death toll rises to 77, survivors fall to 43
A crew member who initially survived the June Aster blaze has died, bringing the death toll to 77, with 43 people rescued and 12 still missing.
The Philippine Coast Guard announced that a crew member who had initially survived the June Aster fire succumbed at Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital around 11:34 a.m., increasing the death toll to 77. The fire broke out on September 9 as the ferry sailed from Batangas toward Coron, Palawan. Of the 132 passengers and crew on the manifest, 43 remain alive, while 12 are still missing.
Captain Roel Sarmiento, who had been unaccounted for after the blaze, voluntarily appeared before investigators to answer questions about his whereabouts. The Coast Guard continues to coordinate recovery efforts and a probe into the incident. It also ordered the vessel’s operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., to hire a salvor for siphoning operations and to assess the ship’s structural integrity. Ongoing investigations involve multiple agencies to determine the cause and prevent future tragedies.
Why it matters
The tragedy underscores serious maritime safety challenges and the human cost of ferry disasters in the Philippines.
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