At least 30 bodies were recovered from the MV June Aster after a fire engulfed the passenger ferry off Coron, Palawan, bringing the confirmed death toll to 35.
Around 60 passengers and crew remain missing, with the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police continuing search and rescue operations.
The fire was declared out at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, with burnt remains found in the vessel’s economy section. The ferry left Manila on Tuesday night and caught fire around 6:45 p.m.
Wednesday, about 2.2 kilometers offshore from Coron. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and have not ruled out terrorism following reports of an explosion aboard the vessel.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 12, 2026
