The death toll from a ferry fire in the Philippines has risen to 76 after 41 more bodies were recovered from the burnt-out vessel.
The fire broke out aboard the M/V June Aster on Wednesday, with the ship now grounded about 7.5 kilometres off the coast of Coron, Palawan.
Coast guard spokeswoman, Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, said the remains would be taken to a port in Coron as forensic specialists began the process of identifying the victims.
The first 30 bodies were brought ashore on Saturday, while temporary graves were prepared at a cemetery in Coron pending DNA identification.
Tourism official Kristine Ablana said relatives would be allowed to identify personal belongings recovered from the victims.
“Once someone is able to verify... that this photo or these belongings are indeed those of their relative, they will be asked to provide a DNA sample,” she said.
The coast guard said 30 passengers, including two Chilean nationals, and 13 crew members were rescued. About 12 people remain unaccounted for.
Cayabyab said the fire started in the cargo hold and spread rapidly through the vessel.
“From the time that they heard the loud explosion, the appearance of smoke, and then fire. It spread very quickly,” she said.
“Everything happened in seconds,” she added, saying some survivors did not have time to put on life jackets.
Relatives have travelled to Coron in search of missing family members as authorities continue the recovery and identification process.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, has a long history of ferry accidents, with many people relying on relatively cheap inter-island vessels.
In January, at least 52 people died after a triple-decker ferry carrying more than 340 passengers sank in the southern Philippines.
Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, the operator of the M/V June Aster, said on Thursday that it was cooperating fully with the investigation.
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