Cayabyab said there are plans to resume efforts to extinguish the fire, first from the ferry’s cargo hold, where containers and/or goods are stored.
The Coast Guard previously said preliminary interviews with survivors suggested that this is where the fire started. They noted that some passengers were not wearing life jackets.
A survivor who was brought to safety by a rescue boat described frantic screams on board the passenger-cargo ship as the fire broke out on Wednesday evening.
Roland Lerma remembers falling while trying to escape a burning boat.
“As I was lying on the floor, people were trampling on me,” the 30-year-old told the BBC.
He began to crawl until he could find his footing again before jumping off the ship and into the sea. Lerma said he saw children also jump into the water, but could not see their faces in the darkness.
“It was cold [in the sea] If the rescue operation had been delayed, I would definitely have died,” he said.
The ferry, which had departed from Manila, was approaching its destination in the tourist hotspot of Coron in Palawan province when it caught fire.
Philippine maritime authorities are investigating the incident.
The ferry, built in 2002, had valid safety certificates and passed a safety inspection in March, but investigators are looking into potential discrepancies in documentation, loading integrity and crew emergency response protocols, Palawan Daily reported.
The vessel’s operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries, has promised to cooperate fully with the investigation.
“Our hearts remain with the families affected, and we will not rest until every person is counted,” the company said in a statement Thursday.