Tragic Philippines ferry fire leaves 76 dead with captain under investigation
Rescuers retrieved more remains from a passenger ferry in the Philippines that was destroyed by fire, increasing the death toll to 76 on Saturday, with 13 still missing.
Forty-three people survived the fire on Wednesday night out of the 132 on board.
The ferry departed from the capital, Manila, and was about 39 kilometers (24 miles) from its destination in Coron, in the southwestern Palawan province, when the fire broke out.
The cause has not been determined, but the coast guard spokesperson quoted a survivor as saying it may have started in the cargo hold. The survivor recounted hearing an explosion, with smoke and fire quickly spreading, driven by the winds, officials said.
Tents were erected in the Port of Borac in Coron, where body bags were unloaded from a ship that brought them from the ferry.
Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, the coast guard spokesperson, said authorities were searching for the ship’s captain, who reportedly survived but is not listed among the survivors.
The multiagency maritime safety and criminal investigations will examine all angles and the possible liability of the captain and crew, she added.
Cayabyab said survivors reported that the fire spread rapidly, leaving no time to put on life jackets. A tarpaulin that covered the open areas of the ship from the rain “may be a possible contributing factor but we can’t determine now if they were trapped inside,” she added.
Investigators will also verify if fire emergency procedures were followed, including whether the captain sounded an alarm or issued a warning and instructions, and whether the crew helped the passengers.
Ferries are commonly used for transportation in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
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