At least five dead and 87 unaccounted for after Philippines ferry fire
The M/V June Aster sank near Coron in Palawan after catching fire offshore, with search and rescue operations continuing and casualty figures still provisional.
At least five people have died and 87 remain unaccounted for after the M/V June Aster caught fire and sank near Coron in the Philippine province of Palawan, according to the Philippine coastguard.
The fire broke out on Wednesday evening about 2.2 kilometres offshore. The vessel had sailed from Manila and its manifest listed 134 passengers and crew.
The coastguard said 42 people had been rescued, including 38 passengers and four crew members. It said the figures were live data and could change as search and rescue operations continued.
The Reuters news agency reported a slightly different rescue figure of 43 people on Wednesday night. The coastguard also said it had not yet obtained detailed information from those rescued.
No possible cause of the fire had been reported. The incident comes amid wider concerns about sea safety in the Philippines, where past ferry accidents have been linked to treacherous conditions, poor vessel maintenance, overcrowding and inconsistent enforcement of safety rules.
A ferry sinking off Baluk-baluk island in January reportedly killed at least 18 people.
