50 of 71 killed in ferry fire identified

MANILA, Philippines — The Forensic Group of the Philippine National Police said on Monday that 50 of the 71 bodies recovered from MV June Aster, a ferry which caught fire and ran aground in Coron, Palawan, last month, have been identified and cross-matched through DNA testing.

“So currently, the process now is in Phase 4 [which is] reconciliation at the same time our identification of the 71 cadavers. Currently, we have identified and crossmatched 50 of those cadavers,” PNP Forensic Group director Brig. Gen. Pierre Paul Carpio said in a press briefing.

“So we have the remaining 21 cadavers for crossmatching,” Carpio added, saying they have all the victims’ records needed for the process.

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READ: Ferry fire death toll climbs to 76

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The PNP earlier sent Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Scene of the Crime Operatives teams to the area to help identify the deceased.

After the DVI process, the results are sent to the local government unit, which then coordinates with the relatives of the victims.

Carpio said the DNA identification process has not encountered significant difficulties, adding that they “clean all [laboratories] for decontamination and sterility” after every case.

Misdeclared cargo

The MV June Aster, operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, was on its way to Palawan from Manila when it caught fire on Sept. 9 and later ran aground off Coron. Of the 128 passengers and crew members listed on the manifest, 77 died while 43 survived. Eight more were reportedly missing.

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Of the 77 fatalities, 71 were retrieved from the vessel, five from the sea while one died in the hospital.

For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is looking into whether misdeclared cargo aboard the ferry may have contributed to the fire.

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It earlier filed a complaint against ferry captain Roel Sarmiento for allegedly falsifying a public document certifying the ship had complied with safety regulations.

PCG investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the fire after survivors reported hearing a loud explosion from the cargo deck seconds before flames appeared. The ferry was carrying an electric vehicle (EV) at the time.

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Citing safety concerns, ferry operator Montenegro Shipping Lines Inc. has since prohibited EVs and hybrid EVs on its vessels. /cb