Friday, 02 October 2026NairobiLatest edition
From The National

At least 76 confirmed dead in Philippines ferry fire

Rescuers recovered ⁠the remains of 41 people after a ferry fire in the Philippines, authorities ​said on Saturday, raising the death toll to 76 and leaving 13 people unaccounted for. The fire broke out aboard the June Aster ferry at around 6.45pm local time on Wednesday in waters off the island of Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard said.Forensic teams ⁠faced the daunting task of identifying the victims. That painstaking process had already begun after 30 bodies recovered on Friday were brought to a port in Coron town, where temporary tents were set up for forensic teams to process ⁠and identify the dead.The vessel had departed from Manila and was travelling to Coron when it caught fire. The ferry's manifest of 134 people included 117 passengers and 17 crew.Firefighters entered the ferry for the first time on Friday after extinguishing the blaze more than a day after it broke out, giving authorities access to areas that had been hard to reach because of thick smoke and extreme heat. The Coast Guard said burnt remains were discovered in the ferry's economy accommodation section.Images released by the Coast Guard showed the scale of the destruction inside the vessel, with rows of steel ​bed frames twisted by intense heat and blanketed in ash. Some photographs appeared ‌to show skeletal remains among the ⁠debris.Missing family membersResponders in protective suits were seen...

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