60 MV June Aster fire victims identified; 11 bodies remain unidentified

MANILA – Eleven victims of the deadly fire aboard a passenger vessel in Coron, Palawan remained unidentified on Tuesday, more than a month after the tragedy.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said 60 victims had been identified through DNA analysis conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group, while efforts to establish the identities of 11 other charred remains were ongoing.

Despite the identification of most of the victims, none of the remains have been formally claimed by their families.

“The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Coron, Palawan, has coordinated with 60 families regarding the identification and claiming process. Two claimants have personally visited the EOC to process the necessary requirements, although no remains have been formally claimed,” Cayabyab said.

The local government of Coron has established a one-stop assistance desk at the municipal Emergency Operations Center to help victims’ families process the documents needed to claim the remains.

The assistance desk operates from Monday to Thursday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A total of 77 people died in the MV June Aster tragedy on September 9. Of the fatalities, 71 were initially difficult to identify because their bodies had been severely burned when recovered.

The remains of the victims were temporarily buried at the San Nicolas Public Cemetery in Coron, Palawan.