Philippine authorities began identifying victims from a ferry fire on Saturday (September 12, 2026), after bodies were recovered from the burned-out vessel. The ferry was carrying more than 130 people and caught fire near the end of a journey lasting more than 20 hours, according to an account of the incident.

Bodies were taken to a port in Coron town, where temporary tents were set up for forensic teams to process and identify the dead. Responders in protective suits were seen carrying black body bags from a Coast Guard vessel into the tents as anxious family members waited nearby.

Among them was Anelyn Magbanua, 37, whose husband was returning to Coron after visiting their children in Manila when the ferry caught fire.

Sources disagreed on the death toll and number of missing. One account said at least 35 people had died and more than 50 were missing. Another said 41 more charred remains were recovered, raising the death toll to 76 and leaving 13 people unaccounted for, after 30 bodies recovered on Friday (September 11, 2026) were brought to Coron for identification. The process of identifying the victims had already begun.