Philippine ferry fire death toll jumps to 76

CORON, Sept 12: The death toll from a Philippine ferry fire jumped to 76 on Saturday after the coast guard confirmed the discovery of 41 more bodies aboard the burnt-out vessel.

The remains will be transported to a port in Coron, Palawan, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said in a statement.

AFP watched hours earlier as disaster agency workers carried coffins to a cemetery in the resort town, intended for the temporary burial of victims of the fire that tore through the M/V June Aster on Wednesday.

The first 30 bodies arrived by sea earlier on Saturday as forensic specialists began the painstaking process of identifying the remains.

The confirmed death toll now stands at 76, including five bodies recovered in the immediate wake of the incident. The ship sits grounded about 7.5 kilometres (4.5 miles) off the coast.�" AFP