DEATH TOLL IN PHILIPPINES FERRY FIRE RISES TO 35

MANILA, SEPTEMBER 11 /SRNA-Reuters/ - Rescuers on Friday recovered 30 bodies from a ferry that caught fire in western Palawan province, raising the death toll from the incident to 35, the Philippines coast guard said.

The spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard Noemi Cayabiab announced yesterday that it was difficult for rescuers to access the ship due to the thick smoke that spread from the vessel even after the fire was extinguished.

The June Aster ferry sailed yesterday from the capital Manila and was near the destination of Coron in the province of Palawan when the fire broke out.