PCG looking into cargo of burned ferry

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is investigating whether cargo aboard MV June Aster was misdeclared and may have contributed to the fire that killed 77 people off Coron, Palawan.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said investigators would compare the vessel’s cargo with the manifest submitted by its captain as they look into the cause of the Sept. 9 fire.

“We will look into whether there was any misdeclaration when it comes to the cargo,” Cayabyab said at a forum on Saturday. “If there was cargo aboard the vessel that could have been a contributory factor in this incident, that is something we will also look into.”

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READ: Ferry skipper caught off guard as fire spread fast

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No life jackets

She said the vessel’s captain, Roel Sarmiento, could face significant liability if investigators establish that cargo aboard the vessel had been misdeclared.

Survivors earlier told investigators they heard an explosion near the cargo hold before the fire’s rapid spread.

MV June Aster was carrying motorcycles, an electric vehicle, a pickup truck and other goods.

Cayabyab said accounts gathered from survivors indicated that the fire spread so quickly that some passengers had to jump into sea.

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“When the Coast Guard arrived in the area, the passengers we found in the water and rescued were mostly without life jackets,” she said.

Cayabyab said the PCG, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection were in the final stages of gathering evidence.

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She said the Coast Guard was also providing legal assistance to survivors and the families of those killed.

Dead, missing

The death toll stood at 77 after a crew member who survived the blaze died at a hospital on Tuesday.

Authorities earlier recovered 71 bodies, in addition to five people initially confirmed dead.

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Eight people remained missing after the Coast Guard determined that four more people listed on the vessel’s manifest had not actually boarded. INQ