CORON, Philippines — Rescuers retrieved more remains from a passenger ferry that was gutted by fire off the Philippines, bringing the death toll Saturday to 76 with 13 missing.
Forty-three people survived the fire Wednesday night, among 132 on board.
The ferry sailed from the capital, Manila, and was some 24 miles from its destination in Coron, in southwestern Palawan province, when the fire erupted.
The cause has not been determined, but a coast guard spokesperson quoted a survivor as saying it may have started in the cargo hold. The survivor recounted hearing a blast, with smoke and fire quickly spreading, fanned by the winds, officials said.
Tents were put up in the Port of Borac in Coron, where body bags were brought down from a ship that transported them from the ferry.
Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, the coast guard spokesperson, said authorities were looking for the ship’s captain, who reportedly survived but is not listed among the survivors.
The multiagency maritime safety and criminal investigations will look into all angles and the possible liability of the captain and crew, she added.
Cayabyab said survivors recounted that the fire spread quickly, with no time to get life jackets. A tarpaulin that shielded open areas of the ship from the rain “may be a possible contributing factor, but we can’t determine now if [passengers] were trapped inside,” she added.
Investigators will also check whether fire emergency procedures were followed, including if the captain sounded an alarm or gave a warning and instructions, and if the crew assisted the passengers.
Ferries are frequently used for transport in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
In 1987, the ferry Doña 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.
Favila, Calupitan and Cerojano write for the Associated Press. Cerojano reported from Manila.
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