Philippine ferry fire death toll rises to 35 as 54 remain missing

A sharply higher toll from the MV June Aster

The confirmed death toll from the fire aboard the Philippine passenger ferry MV June Aster has risen to at least 35, with 54 people still listed as missing. The new toll is a material escalation from the first reports of five deaths and dozens unaccounted for. Sky News reported that 43 people had been rescued after the vessel caught fire on Wednesday evening while approaching Coron in the western province of Palawan.

The passenger manifest initially listed 134 people aboard, although two people named on it later told authorities they had not boarded. That discrepancy is important: manifests are an essential starting point for search operations, but the number physically present must be reconciled through survivor interviews and family reports. The latest public figures therefore remain subject to revision as investigators confirm identities and determine who was actually on the ship.

Search conditions remain difficult

The fire burned overnight and left the ferry afloat but listing. Heat and smoke initially prevented rescuers from reaching parts of the interior, where passengers may have been trapped. Bad weather, large waves and strong currents added to the difficulty. The ship sent a distress signal roughly four nautical miles from the village of Turda, but currents later carried it farther from the original position.

Photographs supplied by the Philippine Coast Guard show extensive fire damage and emergency personnel working around the vessel. Survivors described a rapid spread of flames and panic as people tried to reach lifejackets or escape through windows. Those accounts help explain the speed of the emergency but do not determine where the fire started or whether any safety equipment failed. Authorities had not announced a cause by Friday evening.

Accountability follows rescue and identification

The immediate priorities are locating the missing, recovering and identifying the dead, treating survivors and giving families reliable information. The International Committee of the Red Cross has previously worked with Philippine military, police and coast guard officers on maritime law enforcement and on the management of the deceased in emergencies. That institutional background is relevant to the coordination challenge but is not evidence about this ferry’s condition or crew conduct.

Once search conditions permit, investigators will need to examine the engine spaces, electrical systems, firefighting equipment, evacuation routes, crew actions and accuracy of the manifest. They will also assess whether weather and currents affected the casualty toll after passengers entered the water. The key near-term indicators are additional recoveries, reconciliation of the passenger list and an official technical account of the fire’s origin.