CORON, Philippines (Updated 9:41 a.m.) — The death toll from the ferry fire off Coron, Palawan climbed to 76 on Saturday night after the Philippine Coast Guard confirmed the discovery of 41 more bodies aboard the burnt-out M/V June Aster, as authorities began the painstaking process of identifying the victims.
The remains will be transported to a port in Coron, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said in a statement.
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The first 30 bodies recovered from the vessel arrived by sea earlier Saturday, allowing forensic specialists to begin identification. Five other bodies were recovered in the immediate aftermath of the fire.
One-meter-deep graves have been prepared for the temporary burial of the victims until DNA testing is completed, Kristine Ablana, a tourism official serving as an official spokesperson, told reporters.
Relatives will first be asked to examine photographs and personal belongings recovered from the victims.
"Once someone is able to verify... that this photo or these belongings are indeed those of their relative, they will be asked to provide a DNA sample," Ablana said.
Thirty passengers, including two Chilean nationals, and 13 crew members have been rescued, according to the coast guard. Around a dozen people are believed to remain unaccounted for.
The vessel is grounded about 7.5 kilometers off Coron.
'Everything happened in seconds'
Cayabyab said survivors reported that the fire began in the cargo hold before rapidly engulfing the ship.
"From the time that they heard the loud explosion, the appearance of smoke, and then fire. It spread very quickly," she said in a radio interview.
"Everything happened in seconds," Cayabyab added, saying those who escaped did not even have time to put on life jackets.
The company that owns the vessel, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., said it was fully cooperating with the investigation.
The Philippines has a long history of deadly maritime accidents involving inter-island ferries. In January, a triple-decker ferry carrying more than 340 people sank off the southern Philippines, killing at least 52. — Reports from Agence France Presse