Bodies from charred Philippine ferry arrive at port after fire that killed at least 35

CORON, Philippines (AP) — Thirty charred bodies found inside a burned passenger ferry in the western Philippines arrived at a port Saturday for identification after a ship fire killed at least 35 people and left more than 50 others missing earlier this week.

Retrieval operations will continue as more bodies are still inside the MV June Aster, coast guard officials said without providing a count. There were 43 survivors among the 132 people on board.

The ferry sailed from the capital, Manila, and was off the village of Turda some 39 kilometers (24 miles) from its destination, the Port of Coron, when the fire was reported Wednesday evening.

The cause of the blaze has not been determined but a survivor said it may have started from the cargo hold. The survivor recounted hearing a blast, with smoke and fire quickly spreading, fanned by the winds, officials said.

Tents were put up in the Port of Borac in Coron, Palawan province, where body bags were brought down from a ship that transported them from the burned ferry. The coast guard said the bodies were turned over to the Provincial Forensic Unit for identification.

Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, the coast guard spokesperson, said authorities are looking for the ship's captain, who reportedly survived but is not listed among the survivors.

The multiagency maritime safety and criminal investigations will look into all angles, and the possible liability of the captain and crew, she added.

Cayabyab said survivors recounted the incident happened quickly, with no time to get life jackets. A tarpaulin that shielded the open areas of the ship from the rain “may be a possible contributing factor but we can’t determine now if they were trapped inside,” she added.

Investigators will also check if fire emergency procedures were followed, including if the captain sounded an alarm or gave a warning and instructions, and if the crew assisted the passengers.

Images provided earlier by the coast guard showed the charred interior of the ship and what appeared to be human remains, ashes and burnt metal, including a car.

Arnulfo Nokki Villanueva, a survivor who recounted the chaos inside the ferry after the fire quickly spread, told a local news outlet that he couldn't get a life jacket as people were in a panic and stepping on him.

Lira Daco, whose 20-year-old daughter is missing, said she was pained by the thought that her daughter could have burned alive, and at the difficulty of identifying her among the charred remains found in the ship.

According to the manifest, 134 people were onboard, with 117 of them passengers and 17 crew. The 53-meter (174-foot) vessel had a capacity to carry 306 passengers and 27 crew. Two passengers listed in the manifest reported to authorities that they failed to board, the coast guard said.

Two of the survivors were tourists from Chile, according to Rachel Conserman, a staffer of the ship’s owner Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc. The coast guard said the foreigners have left Coron and authorities have coordinated with their embassy.

The shipping company said in a statement it was assisting those who were on board and their families while coordinating with the coast guard and maritime officials to locate the missing passengers and determine the cause of the fire.

Coron is a popular tourist destination known for clear blue waters, limestone cliffs and rock formations.

Ferries are frequently used for transport in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.

In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.

Cerojano reported from Manila, Philippines.

In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, ferry MV June Aster smolders off Palawan province, western Philippines, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, days after it caught fire. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

Lira Daco, left, wipes tears beside husband Menandro as they wait for news of their missing daughter in Coron, Palawan province, western Philippines, Friday Sept. 11, 2026, days after the ferry MV June Aster caught fire off Coron. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

This photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows damages on the ferry MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan province, western Philippines, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, days after it caught fire.(Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

This photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the ferry MV June Aster off Palawan province, western Philippines, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, days after it caught fire. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

In this handout provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, rescuers transfer the remains of victims of the recent fire on the MV June Aster ferry on Friday Sept. 11, 2026 off Coron, Palawan province, western Philippines. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Leaders of the BRICS nations are meeting in New Delhi on Saturday for a summit focused on trade, investment and global conflicts, as the bloc seeks a bigger role in shaping the global agenda for emerging and developing countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and counterparts from the other eight BRICS members. The summit comes as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with rising U.S.-China tensions, test the bloc’s ability to find common ground among countries with competing geopolitical interests.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed around the summit venue and other parts of New Delhi, with traffic restrictions and diversions in place.

BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. It has since expanded to 11 members, representing about half the world’s population and a significant share of global economic output. The group has increasingly called for greater representation for developing countries in global institutions.

The leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, energy, food security, technology, supply chains and reforms to global institutions. Reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar will also be a priority, with members promoting greater use of their own currencies in trade and payments, as well as pushing for alternatives to Western-dominated financial institutions.

China and Russia see BRICS as a way to reduce Western dominance, particularly that of the United States, while strengthening cooperation among emerging and developing economies.

Putin, in a speech at the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi on Friday, said the grouping was not against anyone and Moscow was open to cooperation with countries around the world

“We are in favor of our interests,” he said.

Iran has also pushed for mechanisms that could reduce the bloc’s reliance on Western financial systems and shield members from economic pressure, as Tehran faces sweeping sanctions and a U.S. blockade.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian backed expanding trade in national currencies among BRICS members.

“One of the most important steps is to expand the use of national currencies in trade among the members,” he told reporters on Friday.

China, meanwhile, is leveraging the grouping to deepen its influence within the bloc and position it as a counterweight to U.S. power.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday that Xi was expected to discuss major international issues and ways to deepen cooperation among BRICS members.

For India, the summit highlights its effort to maintain strategic ties with Russia and Iran while deepening relations with the U.S. and Europe. New Delhi has sought to balance its longstanding partnerships with Moscow and Tehran with efforts to expand economic, defense and technology ties with Washington and other Western nations.

India has maintained close ties with both Moscow and Tehran despite the war in Ukraine and tensions between Iran and the U.S., while calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. Modi met Putin and Pezeshkian separately in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the summit.

India is also hoping the forum will help ease its longstanding strained ties with China. Modi and Xi are expected to hold talks later Saturday, a meeting that could help consolidate a diplomatic thaw between the two countries after border tensions escalated in 2020.

A key test for India will be whether it can secure a joint statement from leaders at the summit. Those divisions were evident in May, when BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree on a joint statement over the Iran war, forcing India to issue a chair’s summary instead.

The summit convenes as fears grow that the Iran war, triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, may expand amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels. The bloc's unity under pressure is expected to be tested as its members navigate differing positions on the conflict and relations with the U.S.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Kristina Solovyova, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The leader of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right, arrives for the BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Indian Foreign Ministry via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with journalists on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pose for a photo holding an edition of the Tirukkural, written by the 6th-century Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar, during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, center right, arrives for the BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Indian Foreign Ministry via AP)