MV June Aster fire victims identified
THE burned hull of the passenger vessel M/V June Aster lies grounded near the coast off Coron, Palawan, following a catastrophic fire that broke out aboard the ship.
Photograph courtesy of PCG
Forensics specialists have identified 60 victims who perished in last month’s catastrophic fire aboard the passenger vessel MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Tuesday.
Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said 11 victims remain unidentified following the 9 September disaster, which claimed 77 lives when a fast-spreading blaze engulfed the ship.
Pathologists from the Philippine National Police Forensic Group confirmed the identities through forensic examination, while work continues to identify the remaining 11 charred bodies.
Despite the positive identification of 60 victims, no remains have been released to relatives as families complete administrative clearances.
“The Emergency Operations Center in Coron, Palawan, has coordinated with 60 families regarding the identification and claiming process,” Cayabyab said.
“Two claimants have personally visited the center to process the necessary requirements, although no remains have been formally claimed,” he added.
To expedite the release of remains, municipal authorities in Coron established a one-stop assistance desk at the Emergency Operations Center to assist grieving families with legal documentation.
The ferry caught fire on 9 September, leaving 71 bodies severely burned upon recovery. The victims were temporarily interred at the San Nicolas Public Cemetery in Coron pending formal release to their families.
Investigators are focusing on the vessel’s cargo hold, where survivors reported seeing an electric vehicle, a pickup truck, a forklift and five motorcycles parked together near where the fire broke out.