Tragic Philippine Ferry Fire Death Toll Rises to 35 After Dozens of Bodies Recovered

Coast Guard personnel inspect a burned section of a ferry off the shores of Coron town, Palawan province. Dozens of bodies have been recovered from a ferry that caught fire in the western Palawan province of the Philippines, raising the death toll from the disaster to 35.

According to the Philippine Coast Guard on Friday, 30 bodies were recovered. Earlier, authorities said at least five people had died in the blaze. On Wednesday, the ferry caught fire on its way from the capital, Manila to Palawan. The vessel had been carrying more than 130 people when it was engulfed in flames. Fifty-four people are still missing, and there were 43 survivors, authorities said.

Rescuers on Thursday struggled to get inside the vessel because of the heat and smoke, slowing efforts to search for passengers who may have been trapped. Images provided by the Coast Guard on Friday showed the charred interior of the ship and what appeared to be human remains, ashes and burned metal, including a car.

Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemi Cayabyab said that the burned remains were discovered in the ferry’s economy accommodations. She added that police forensic investigators were examining the remains for recovery and identification. “We recognise the grief of the families affected by this tragic incident. Rest assured that operations are carried out with utmost respect for the deceased and their bereaved families,” Cayabyab said.

Reporting from Manila on Friday, Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan said a steady number of families are asking about their loved ones and messaging the ferry companies for any information. “They had better information coming from those who had survived than actually the ferry company,” Alindogan said, adding that much of the information from the government and the private sector had been controlled.

Ferries are frequently used for transport in the Philippine Archipelago, though sea accidents remain common due to storms, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and lax safety enforcement in remote regions.

According to the manifest, 134 people were on board, comprising 117 passengers and 17 crew. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) officials noted survivor accounts of two successive explosions before the blaze.