Philippine Rescuers Board Burning Ferry 40 Hours After Blaze Began
BBC News reports on a significant rescue operation in the Philippines:
Rescuing Passengers from MV June Aster
Fifty people have been confirmed dead, while 43 have been rescued, many receiving medical treatment. Eighty-four remain missing, nearly four days after the ferry fire began.
Challenges and Progress
Rescuers faced difficulties boarding the ship due to toxic fumes and intense heat. The Philippine Coast Guard successfully entered the vessel at 11:30 local time (03:30 GMT) on Friday, despite persistent smoke and high temperatures.
"The biggest challenge… is to penetrate the ship [as] there is still a visible, thick smoke," said Noemie Cayabyab, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. She also noted that toxic smoke contains lethal concentrations of carbon monoxide.
Search Efforts
Rescuers have expanded their search area and deployed one of the Coast Guard’s largest ships, along with divers and nurses. The initial report of 86 missing was revised to 84 as two passengers not on board were accounted for.
A local diver in Coron expressed readiness to assist, awaiting instructions from the Coast Guard. An aerial survey of the area was also conducted by the Coast Guard.
Fire Origin and Survivor Accounts
Preliminary interviews with survivors suggest the fire began in the cargo hold where containers are stored. Some passengers were not wearing life vests.
Roland Lerma, a survivor, recalled the chaos when the fire erupted on Wednesday evening. He managed to crawl off the burning boat into the sea, escaping what could have been a fatal outcome if rescue had been delayed.
