Coron, Philippines: The death toll from a ferry fire in the Philippines rose to 35 on Friday after authorities recovered more bodies from the gutted vessel, while 54 people remained missing, officials said.

The Philippine Coast Guard said teams had recovered 30 bodies from the M/V June Aster, which caught fire Wednesday while travelling toward the tourist destination of Coron in Palawan province.

“Joint authorities reported an initial count of 30 cadavers recovered on board M/V June Aster today,” the coast guard said in a statement, adding that the “retrieval and transfer of the cadavers began at around 5:16 pm (0916 GMT)”.

The coast guard had earlier reported that bodies were found in the ferry’s economy accommodation area. The vessel ran aground near Coron after the fire broke out.

The ferry had departed from Manila and was carrying 134 people, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members, according to its manifest. At least 43 people had earlier been rescued.

The fire was declared extinguished after thick smoke and intense heat initially prevented rescuers from entering the vessel. Authorities have been working to recover and identify the remains.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation. Survivor accounts cited by maritime authorities said two successive explosions were heard from inside the vessel before the blaze spread rapidly.

The ferry was also carrying vehicles and cargo, including motorcycles, an electric vehicle, a forklift and a pickup truck, according to officials.