Philippines ferry fire: 5 dead, 87 missing off Coron

MANILA: At least five people have died and 87 remain unaccounted for after a passenger ferry caught fire off Coron, Palawan, as rescuers raced Thursday to find survivors in one of the Philippines' most popular tourist destinations.

The M/V June Aster was carrying 134 people — 117 passengers and 17 crew members — when it caught fire at about 6:45 pm Wednesday in waters roughly 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron municipality, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Latest confirmed tally: 134 aboard | 42 rescued | 5 dead | 87 unaccounted for. The figures remain provisional as the search continues

The vessel was reportedly travelling from Manila toward Coron when the fire broke out. Tracking data showed it had departed Manila.

Coast Guard spokesperson Capt. Noemi Cayabyab confirmed to local media that 42 people had been rescued — 38 passengers and four crew members — while five casualties had been brought ashore.

“Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties (five), we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for.”

She stressed that the numbers were live figures and could change as search-and-rescue operations continued.

Coast Guard vessels and personnel, the Bureau of Fire Protection, Coron disaster-response teams and local authorities were deployed to the scene.

The Coast Guard's BRP Suluan also proceeded from El Nido to assist in the operation. Volunteer fishermen and other vessels helped bring survivors ashore.

The fire had engulfed much of the vessel. Coast Guard footage showed the ferry completely surrounded by flames, complicating efforts to approach and search the ship.

Of the 42 rescued, six had been discharged, 33 remained hospitalized and three were in critical condition, according to Coron health officials cited by GMA News.

Authorities had not yet identified the five fatalities.

Investigators have not established what caused the fire.

Cayabyab said authorities would investigate the circumstances, including questions about the vessel's condition and maintenance.

The Coast Guard said passenger vessels undergo regular inspection and maintenance.

There was no reported oil spill as of Thursday morning, according to the Coast Guard.

The disaster comes in Coron, a major Philippine tourism destination famous for its beaches, diving sites, shipwrecks and island-hopping routes.

Authorities are still reconciling the passenger manifest with rescued survivors and people who may have reached shore independently.

For families searching for relatives, Coron authorities have released emergency contacts, including the Coron District Hospital emergency hotline and the municipal disaster-response office.

Search-and-rescue teams are continuing operations while firefighters work to contain the blaze and authorities try to establish exactly how the fire began.

The Coast Guard has urged families who believe relatives were aboard the June Aster to contact authorities and report missing passengers to help reconcile the manifest.