The Philippine Coast Guard has completed searching through the passenger cabins and other onboard spaces of a locally owned ferry in the days following an onboard fire that left nearly 80 people dead.
The coast guard said that shipping company Atienza Interisland Ferries may now contract outside parties for salvage operations on the Ro-Pax ferry June Aster just off Palawan province in the western Philippines.
Coast guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said that response teams have penetrated "100 per cent" of the ferry's onboard areas and that a secondary sweep will be carried out to gather evidence and other items as part of an ongoing investigation into the tragedy.
June Aster was nearing her final destination of Coron municipality in Palawan when the blaze ignited in an undisclosed area of the vessel on the late evening (local time) of September 9.
The ferry was already engulfed in flames by the time the coast guard and other agencies arrived in the area to render assistance.
Of the 132 people who were on board at the time, 76 are confirmed dead while 43 were safely rescued and another 13 are still missing.
The total number of occupants was reduced from 243 after local authorities discovered that two passengers whose names were listed on the manifest were unable to board the ferry before she left Manila on her ill-fated voyage.
The coast guard added that June Aster's captain has voluntarily reached out and is now cooperating with investigators.
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