Confirmed death toll from passenger ship fire in Palawan Province, Philippines rises to 35

China News Service, Manila, September 11 (Reporter Zhou Jing) The Philippine Coast Guard stated on the 11th that 30 bodies were found on the "June Aster" passenger ship that caught fire in the waters near Palawan Province, raising the confirmed death toll in the accident to 35.

The Philippine Coast Guard said that the search and transfer of the remains began at around 17:16 that day and are expected to be transported to Borac Port in Coron, Palawan Province on the 12th. The Philippine Coast Guard, the National Police Crime Scene Operations Group and relevant agencies will continue to carry out the identification of the remains.

So far, the accident has killed 35 people, 43 people have been rescued, and 54 people are still missing. With the fire extinguished, rescuers were able to enter the hull and continue searching.

The Philippine Coast Guard also laid an anti-oil fence in the sea area where the incident occurred. So far, no signs of oil spill have been found on the sea surface.

The "June Aster" caught fire while sailing in the waters near Coron, Palawan Province on the evening of the 9th. The search and salvage work was temporarily hampered by the ongoing fire and bad weather. The Philippine Coast Guard declared the fire extinguished on the morning of the 11th and launched a search for remains after completing the safety assessment.