CHLORINE mixed with asphalt caused the fire that ravaged the MV June Aster, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported Friday.
At a Palace press briefing, Chief Superintendent Wilberto Rico Neil Ang Kwan Tiu, BFP’s officer-in-charge, said that an excessive amount of chlorine entered the vessel and mixed with asphalt, triggering the fire.
“It (chlorine) is a corrosive agent that, when mixed with asphalt, could potentially ignite. The asphalt and the calcium hypochlorite were stowed at the rear, near the engine exhaust — an area exposed to hot air discharge,” he said.
As the vessel encountered rough seas, shifting cargo caused containers of asphalt and calcium hypochlorite to overturn and mix, initiating a rapid chemical reaction and combustion.
He added that the vessel had a defective ventilation system, and the heat inside was enough to trigger ignition.
Explaining why so few passengers escaped, the BFP official noted that the combustion produced a thick, highly toxic chemical smoke that rapidly spread through the sleeping quarters.
Because the fire broke out in the early evening while many passengers were resting in their bunks, victims were likely suffocated by toxic fumes before realizing the ship was on fire or attempting to evacuate.
Kwan Tiu confirmed that the findings were corroborated by results of interviews conducted by the BFP’s Task Force MV Aster, which gathered detailed statements from survivors, crew members, and the vessel’s captain after he surfaced following a brief disappearance.
He added that charges will be filed against government officials who “failed to perform their duties,” leading to the Sept. 9 tragedy.
“If we discover that any government employees failed to perform their duties — specifically, the responsibility to conduct a thorough inspection before the ship set sail — they will also be included in the administrative charges we intend to file,” Kwan Tiu said.
The MV June Aster caught fire on Sept. 9 while sailing toward Coron, Palawan, from Manila, leaving 77 people dead and eight missing.
