Palawan ferry fire death toll climbs to 76 as identification process begins

Philippine Coast Guard personnel in protective suit unload body bags of victims of a ferry fire blaze at the port of Borac in Coron, Palawan province on September 12, 2026. The bodies of passengers killed in a ferry fire off the Philippines arrived at a port near the resort town of Coron, Palawan on September 12. (AFP)

CORON, Philippines – The death toll from a Philippine ferry fire jumped to 76 on Saturday after the coast guard confirmed the discovery of 41 more bodies aboard the burnt-out vessel.

The remains will be transported to a port in Coron, Palawan, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said in a statement.

AFP watched hours earlier as disaster agency workers carried coffins to a cemetery in the resort town, intended for the temporary burial of victims of the fire that tore through the M/V June Aster on Wednesday.

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