The death toll from the recent passenger ferry fire off the coast of Palawan Island in the Philippines has risen to 76.

Local and foreign media outlets, including Reuters, cited the Philippine Coast Guard on the 13th (local time) to report that a total of 76 people have died as a result of the ferry fire that broke out off the coast near Coron in northern Palawan Island on the night of the 9th.

While the death toll stood at 35 as of the 11th, the third day after the accident, the Philippine Coast Guard recently recovered 41 additional charred bodies from inside the ferry.

It is reported that the Philippine Coast Guard has obtained information suggesting that the captain of the ferry, who was not listed among the 43 survivors, is still alive and is currently verifying his whereabouts.

Noemi Cayabyab, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, said, "We are searching for the captain, who may have survived," adding, "We are also reviewing investigations into the captain's accountability and suspected negligence by the crew members."

At the time of the accident, the ferry was en route to Coron after departing from Baseco in the port area of Manila, and it was reported that two explosions were heard inside the vessel just before the fire broke out.

In the Philippines, which consists of some 7,000 islands, maritime accidents frequently occur due to the operation of aging vessels or the failure to observe passenger limit regulations. The 1987 sinking of the passenger ferry Doña Paz after colliding with an oil tanker resulted in about 4,300 deaths, making it recorded as the worst maritime disaster in history.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)