BREAKING: 5 Dead, 87 Missing After Ferry Catches Fire Off Philippines

At least five people have died and 87 remain unaccounted for after a passenger ferry caught fire in waters off Coron, Palawan, in the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard has said.

The incident involved the MV June Aster, which was carrying 134 people 117 passengers and 17 crew members according to the vessel’s manifest.

The ferry caught fire on Wednesday evening, September 9, while travelling toward Coron. The Philippine Coast Guard said the incident occurred approximately 1.2 nautical miles (2.2 kilometres) northeast of Barangay Marcilla.

Videos released by the Coast Guard showed the vessel engulfed in flames as rescue teams and other responding vessels moved to assist those on board. 

42 People Rescued

Coast Guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab said 42 people had been rescued as search and rescue operations continued.

Of those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew members.

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However, authorities said they had not yet been able to speak with the survivors to obtain more information about what happened aboard the vessel.

“Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for,” Cayabyab told a local radio station.

She stressed that the figures were still considered live data and could change as rescue teams continued searching the surrounding waters. 

Search And Rescue Operation Continues

The Philippine Coast Guard, along with other emergency and local government teams, is continuing a systematic search of the waters around Coron for passengers and crew members who remain missing.

The 42 rescued survivors were taken to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda, north of Marcilla, where authorities and local officials are coordinating assistance.

The Coast Guard has also been working with the shipping company and other responding agencies as the operation continues. 

The ferry had departed from Manila and was travelling toward Coron when the fire broke out.

Authorities have not yet established what caused the blaze. The cause of the incident remains under investigation. 

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Families Await Information

With dozens of people still unaccounted for, authorities have been working to help families determine the whereabouts of relatives who may have been aboard the MV June Aster.

Local officials have released contact numbers for people seeking information about missing relatives, while hospitals and emergency centres continue to assist those who were rescued.

The Philippine Coast Guard has urged families and concerned individuals to coordinate with authorities as the search operation continues. 

The number of missing people could change as authorities reconcile the passenger manifest with those rescued and the casualties.

Search and rescue operations remain ongoing.