Five dead and 86 missing after Philippines ferry fire
The MV June Aster caught fire near Coron, with strong currents and poor weather hampering rescue and firefighting operations.
At least five people have died and 86 remain missing after the MV June Aster caught fire near Coron in the Philippine province of Palawan, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The ferry was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members when the blaze began at about 18:00 local time on Wednesday as it approached its destination from Manila. Forty-three people were rescued and taken to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda, although their condition was unclear.
The vessel was still burning at about 11:00 on Thursday. The Coast Guard said strong currents had carried it from its initial distress location, four nautical miles off Barangay Turda, to a point 7.68 nautical miles away, complicating search efforts.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Coast Guard said it had not yet spoken to those rescued, while the final passenger manifest and the status of those missing remained unclear.
The incident highlights the risks facing passengers on the Philippines’ inter-island ferry network, which is widely used to connect areas inaccessible by air. Severe weather, maintenance problems and uneven enforcement of safety laws have been cited in previous maritime accidents.
