Authorities in the Philippines say it could take weeks or even months to identify the 76 people killed in a ferry fire, as forensic experts begin collecting DNA samples from charred remains.
The Philippine National Police is working to collect and compare DNA samples as investigators continue examining the vessel and trying to determine what caused one of the country’s deadliest maritime disasters in recent years.
Forensic specialist Richard Allan Mangalip said some remains were found clustered together inside parts of the ferry, while others were scattered across different sections of the vessel.
“Most of them are already in a charred condition,” Mangalip said during a press conference.
He said authorities could not provide a firm timeline for identifying the victims because of the large number of specimens that need to be examined.
“It could be weeks, or it could be much longer,” he added.
The latest assessment came a day after rescuers recovered 41 additional remains from the ferry, bringing the death toll to 76. Another 13 people remain unaccounted for.
Officials warned that more remains could still be recovered as parts of the vessel, particularly flooded sections, have yet to be fully searched.
The ferry, carrying more than 130 people, was travelling southwest from Manila to Coron in Palawan province. The journey normally takes about 20 hours, and the vessel was nearing its destination when the fire broke out.
Firefighters first entered the ferry on Friday after battling the blaze for more than a day.
Images released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed extensive damage inside the vessel, including rows of steel bed frames twisted by the intense heat and covered in ash.
Investigators have yet to establish where the fire started and are still trying to reach key areas, including the flooded lower decks and engine room, which could contain evidence crucial to determining the cause.
The Maritime Industry Authority said survivor accounts indicated that two explosions were heard inside the vessel shortly before the fire broke out.
Atienza Inter-Island Ferries, the ship’s owner, said it was fully cooperating with the investigation and would continue assisting the victims’ families.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly maritime accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands where millions of people rely on ferries and small boats for transportation.
