The Philippine Coast Guard on Easter Sunday recovered another body from the passenger ferry that was engulfed in flames in the waters off Basilan last week.
The body was identified as Alses Hassan, one of the missing passengers of the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 that burned down last March 29.
This brings the confirmed deaths from the ferry fire to 32 people, where 17 dead bodies were recovered onboard the vessel and 15 were retrieved at sea.
PCG had carried on its search and retrieval operations to look for the last missing passenger.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said Hassan’s body was drifting in the waters off Langgas Island in Maluso, Basilan, where it was sighted by a concerned citizen and reported to the local authorities at around 9 a.m.
PCG agents turned over the cadaver to the MDRRMO Maluso for proper disposition.
The ferry was traveling from Zamboanga to Sulu with 205 passengers, including 20 Army personnel, 35 crew members, four PCG personnel, and five additional army men when the fire broke out in the middle of the night.
Based on the initial investigation, faulty electrical wiring was seen as the primary cause of the flame while eyewitnesses said that the fire started from the air-conditioned cabins that led to the tragic incident.
Aleson Shipping Lines, owner of the ferry, offered condolences to the bereaved families and apologized for the ill-fated event.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked over this tragic incident that has resulted in the loss of precious human lives. There are no words to describe the pain of losing a loved one and our hearts go out to the families, friends, and relatives whom they left behind. We cannot apologize enough, and we are profoundly sorry for the misery this incident has caused to many of us,” the company said in a statement.