Seventeen bodies recovered by search team from a tragic passenger ferry accident in Basilan.

The Bureau of Fire Protection in Basilan, Philippines, has said it may be necessary to conduct DNA tests to identify victims of the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry, which caught fire off Hadji Mutamad town in Basilan province last week. Seventeen charred remains have been retrieved, with fears more bodies may be found. The grounded vessel is still smouldering and parts remain too hot to approach. As of Friday evening, Basilan’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office reported 29 counted bodies and 22 other passengers missing, including five soldiers. The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed ships to prevent oil leaks from the sunken ferry.