Rescued crew member from fire-damaged ship off Palawan dies, death toll rises to 77

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.