ReportPhilippine Ferry Fire: Toll Jumps to 35, Dozens Still MissingAired September 12, 2026 at 7:13 PM UTCWritten September 12, 2026 at 7:15 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:1130 bodies pulled from the charred hull.0:13The toll now stands at 35.0:16Dozens more are unaccounted for, and the number is expected to rise.0:20How did a ferry that passed its safety checks burn for two days with 134 people0:24aboard?0:25That vessel is the MV June Aster, a 490 gross ton roll-on, roll-off ferry operated0:30by Atienza Interaland Ferries.0:33It left Manila on Wednesday with 117 passengers and 17 crew.0:37134 people in all, bound for the tourist town of Corin in Palawan.0:41At about 6.45 that evening, off Barangay Marsilla, fire broke out.0:45The crossing runs from the capital to this remote island province.0:49The fire broke out off Corin, a town popular with tourists in the western0:53Philippines.0:54The fire was reported late Wednesday evening.0:56Thursday brought the first grim tally.0:58It took until Friday morning for the fire to be declared out, and only then did1:02crews climb aboard.1:03By Saturday, the confirmed death toll had jumped to 35 with more than 50 people1:08still unaccounted for.1:09For more than 40 hours, no one could board the ship.1:12Thick, continuous smoke and rough seas kept rescue vessels at a distance.1:16The Coast Guard said it had not declared the fire out, and that policy barred anyone1:20from going aboard.1:21Only after the blaze was finally declared out at 10:15 Friday morning did rescuers1:25climb on, and they found the remains that pushed the toll from 5 to 35.1:29The first count put the dead at 5 and the missing at around 90.1:33Since firefighters went inside, at least 30 badly burned bodies have been recovered,1:37pushing the confirmed toll to 35.1:39The missing figure has also been revised repeatedly from 90 to 86.1:44Then 84 after two people on the manifest were found never to have boarded.1:48As of the latest count, 53 to 54 remain unaccounted for.1:51The numbers keep shifting, but the central fact stands.1:54This ferry passed its mandatory safety checks and was not overcrowded, with 1341:59aboard against a much higher certified capacity, and it still burned with more than2:03100 people on board.2:04On liability, the Coast Guard says the captain bears responsibility for the fire in2:08the waters of Corin.2:10The operator, Atienza and Terraland Ferries, could also face liability.2:14The Maritime Industry Authority has opened a safety investigation and deployed2:18emergency response teams.2:20The human cost is specific.2:21In Corin, Lira and Menandro Daco waited for word of their missing daughter as the2:26bodies of victims were brought to port.2:28Because this route is popular with tourists, those unaccounted for include people2:32traveling for leisure alongside Filipino passengers and crew.2:36A survivor described being trampled in the rush to escape.2:39That question, how a ferry that passed its safety checks could burn for two days2:43with 134 people aboard, remains unanswered.2:47The cause is under investigation.2:49The initial explosion account is unconfirmed, and the operator has not publicly2:53accounted for the incident.2:54Officials warn that as recovery continues on this burnt-out vessel, the death toll2:58will climb.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗