By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

FERRY FIRE. Smoke billows from the burning MV June Aster off the waters of Coron, Palawan on Sept. 10, 2026, a day after it was razed by a fire. The PCG said Wednesday (Sept. 16) that the death toll from the fire rose to 77 after a rescued crew member died at a hospital. (Photo courtesy of PCG)

MANILA – The death toll from the fire that gutted the MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan, rose to 77 after a crew member who initially survived the incident died at a hospital, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

In a statement on Wednesday, PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the crew member was declared dead by the Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital at around 11:34 a.m. Tuesday.

The number of survivors has since dropped to 43, while 12 individuals remain missing out of the 132 listed in the vessel’s ticket manifest.

The PCG said it continues to coordinate with concerned authorities on the ongoing recovery operations and investigation into the incident.

The fire broke out aboard the vessel on Sept. 9 while it was en route from Batangas to Coron.

Earlier, the PCG said the ship’s captain Roel Sarmiento, who had been missing since the vessel caught fire, voluntarily surfaced and appeared before authorities on Monday to face questioning over his whereabouts.

The agency has also directed the vessel’s operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., to engage a salvor to assist in siphoning operations and to assess the structural integrity of the vessel. (PNA)