At Least Five Dead, 87 Missing After Ferry Catches Fire in Philippines
A fire engulfed the ferry M/V June Aster off Palawan province in the Philippines, killing at least five people while 87 remain unaccounted for. The coast guard says search and rescue efforts are continuing.
A fire broke out Wednesday evening aboard the ferry M/V June Aster near a popular tourist area in the Philippine province of Palawan, about 2.2 kilometres offshore. The coast guard confirmed Thursday that at least five people had died, with the bodies already brought ashore.
Footage released by the coast guard on Facebook showed the vessel fully engulfed in flames.
Dozens still unaccounted for
Coast guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station that, based on current figures for those rescued (42) and the confirmed casualties, 87 people remain unaccounted for. The ship's manifest listed a total of 134 passengers and crew members aboard.
Cayabyab stressed that the figures are being updated in real time as search and rescue operations continue, meaning the numbers could still change.
Of the 42 rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew members. Cayabyab said authorities have not yet been able to interview the survivors, so further details about what happened remain unavailable. Efforts to extinguish the fire were still underway.
Tracking data from MarineTraffic showed that the June Aster had departed from Manila before the incident.
