MV June Aster death toll reaches 77 as safety review urged

At least 77 people have died and 12 remain missing after the MV June Aster caught fire off Coron in the Philippine province of Palawan, prompting provincial officials to call for an immediate review of maritime safety measures.

The death toll rose after one of the vessel's rescued crew members died from serious burn injuries while receiving treatment at Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital. Forty-three people survived the 9 September disaster.

The Palawan provincial board has raised concerns over vessel inspections, passenger manifests, emergency procedures and the enforcement of maritime safety regulations. It has called on national authorities to strengthen safety checks on passenger and cargo vessels operating in Palawan.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire.

Provincial officials call for stricter safety checks

Palawan board member Roseller Pineda called for compensation and assistance for victims, survivors and their families, while board member Winston Arzaga urged the Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to conduct stringent and continuing safety inspections.

Arzaga specifically called for inspections of passenger and cargo vessels operating on routes between Palawan, Manila and Iloilo.

The provincial board has also sought an inquiry involving the PCG, MARINA, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, Coron local government, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., the operator of MV June Aster.

Passenger manifest revised after fire

The vessel's manifest initially listed 134 people — 117 passengers and 17 crew members.

Authorities subsequently determined that two people listed on the manifest had not boarded the vessel, bringing the number of people actually aboard to 132.

The discrepancy has prompted calls for a review of passenger-accounting procedures, including how passenger manifests are prepared and verified before departure.

Captain appears before authorities

Captain Roel Sarmiento, who had been unaccounted for after the fire, voluntarily appeared at the Palawan office of Atienza Interisland Ferries on 14 September.

According to the PCG, Sarmiento was accompanied by Dindo Macalinao, the company's human resources general manager.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said investigators would obtain information from Sarmiento about the circumstances surrounding the fire, his whereabouts after the incident and what happened before his appearance.

The PCG is conducting maritime safety and maritime crime investigations to establish the circumstances of the incident and determine possible liabilities.

Fire broke out during voyage to Coron

MV June Aster was travelling from Manila to Coron when the fire broke out at about 6:45pm on 9 September, approximately 2.2 kilometres northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron.

Survivors told investigators that they heard a loud explosion near the cargo hold before the fire spread.

The vessel had undergone a Vessel Safety Enforcement Inspection in March 2026 and was found compliant with applicable safety requirements at that time, according to the PCG.

The final cause of the fire has not been established.

Vessel formed part of domestic Ro-Ro network

MV June Aster was a roll-on/roll-off vessel operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries.

MARINA's March 2026 Philippine Nautical Highway matrix lists the vessel as a 490.49-gross-ton ship built in 2002. The document lists Atienza Interisland Ferries as its operator and gives the vessel a passenger capacity of 277.

The Philippine nautical highway system is part of the country's domestic maritime transport network, linking islands through vessels that carry passengers, vehicles and cargo.

Coast Guard continues recovery operation

The PCG said its teams had completed searches of the vessel's bridge, crew accommodation and passenger accommodation areas by 14 September.

About 65 per cent of the cargo hold had also been accessed. The PCG directed the operator to engage a competent salvor to continue recovery operations and assess the vessel's structural condition.

The agency said a secondary sweep of previously searched areas would be conducted to recover remaining evidence and other material relevant to the investigation.

Maritime safety rules under review

The Philippines has a regulatory framework covering the safety of domestic passenger and cargo vessels.

MARINA is responsible for regulating the country's maritime industry, including vessel registration, safety standards, inspections and certification. The PCG is responsible for maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations, among other functions.

The disaster has prompted calls from both Palawan officials and national lawmakers for authorities to examine whether existing inspection, certification, passenger-accounting and emergency-response procedures were properly implemented.

As of the latest available update, authorities had not announced a final finding on the cause of the fire or any individual or organisational liability. Search and recovery operations for the 12 missing people and the investigation into the disaster remain under way.