Story perspectives

Philippine Coast Guard Raises June Aster Death Toll to 76

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 6:04 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Philippine Coast Guard Recovery

Philippine Coast Guard recovered 41 bodies, raising the death toll to 76.
A fire erupted on September 9 while MV June Aster sailed 2.2 km off Coron, Palawan, and wind helped spread it.
Survivors heard explosions and saw flames spread rapidly.
Captain was rescued alive among 43 survivors pulled from the water.
Forensic teams are identifying remains with personal items and DNA, digging temporary one-metre graves in Coron.

Summary

June Aster Overloaded

The June Aster carried 134 people, well under its 306-passenger, 27-crew design capacity.
The ferry also transported an electric vehicle, a pickup truck, motorcycles and other cargo.
Two Chilean tourists survived and were hospitalized in Coron, the only confirmed foreign victims.
Observers criticize reliance on cheap, poorly regulated ferries despite frequent accidents across the Philippines’ 7,000 islands.

History

Historical Context

On 20 December 1987, the overloaded Sulpicio Lines ferry MV Doña Paz collided with the unlicensed oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait, killing roughly 4,386 people in the Philippines’ deadliest peacetime maritime disaster. The disaster led to safety reforms and increased inspections, but the 9 September 2026 fire on MV June Aster off Coron shows those measures remain insufficient.

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Philippine Coast Guard Recovery

Philippine Coast Guard recovered 41 bodies, raising the death toll to 76.
A fire erupted on September 9 while MV June Aster sailed 2.2 km off Coron, Palawan, and wind helped spread it.
Survivors heard explosions and saw flames spread rapidly.
Captain was rescued alive among 43 survivors pulled from the water.
Forensic teams are identifying remains with personal items and DNA, digging temporary one-metre graves in Coron.

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