MV June Aster captain turns up five days after ferry fire off Coron
MANILA, Philippines — The captain of MV June Aster, missing since a fire tore through the ferry off Coron, Palawan and killed 76 people, showed up at the shipping company's office on Monday, September 14.
This was confirmed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in a statement issued Tuesday, September 15, where it also said it now plans to gather more details from him about the fire that blazed MV June Aster and his whereabouts after the incident.
Capt. Roel Sarmiento went on his own to the Palawan office of Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., the vessel's operator, on September 14, the PCG said Tuesday.
Dindo Macalinao, a human resources manager of the company, accompanied him.
PCG spokesperson Comm. Noemie Cayabyab said investigators will ask Sarmiento about "the circumstances surrounding the incident, including his whereabouts following the fire and what transpired before his appearance."
With Sarmiento accounted for, the PCG now counts 44 survivors, 76 recovered dead and 12 missing among the 132 people aboard.
Search and retrieval operations are still ongoing for the 12 missing.
The ticket manifest listed 134, but two people later said they did not board the ferry.
Authorities have not determined what caused the fire, though survivors told investigators they heard explosions from the cargo hold before the flames spread.
The fire started in a cargo hold carrying an electric vehicle, motorcycles and a forklift.
The ferry had passed a pre-departure inspection in Manila and a Vessel Safety Enforcement Inspection in March.
The Maritime Industry Authority has opened its own probe into the incident.
The June Aster left Baseco port in Manila at 8:13 p.m. on September 8 and was due in Coron at 6 p.m. the next day. Fire broke out around 6:45 p.m. on September 9, about 2.2 kilometers northeast of Barangay Marcilla.
Smoke and heat kept responders off the ship for almost 40 hours, until the PCG declared the fire out on the morning of September 11.
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