Ferry catches fire in Philippines: 5 dead, at least 87 unaccounted for in Palawan | VIDEO

At least five people were killed and 87 remain missing after a fire erupted aboard a ferry near a tourist hotspot in the Philippine province of Palawan, the coast guard said on Thursday (Sep 10). The fire aboard the M/V June Aster broke out Wednesday evening about 2.2 kilometres (1.3 miles) offshore. Video shared by the coast guard on Facebook showed the vessel completely engulfed in flames.

"Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for," coast guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab said, adding the ship's manifest had listed 134 passengers and crew. "Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change as our search and rescue operations are ongoing," she said. Of those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew, Cayabyab said.

"However, we have not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued individuals because we have not been able to speak with them," she said, adding attempts to put out the blaze were ongoing.

Past incidents of ferry fire

The ferry MV June Aster had sailed from Manila. Ferries are a common transportation method in the Philippine archipelago. Just months prior to the Palawan incident, this triple-decker ferry sank in rough seas off the southern coast of Basilan. The disaster killed at least 18 people and left 24 missing out of more than 350 passengers onboard. In 2023, a massive fire broke out late at night while many passengers were asleep inside air-conditioned cabins. The vessel was traveling from Zamboanga City to Jolo when it went up in flames near Basilan. The incident killed 31 people, many of whom drowned after jumping overboard to escape the blaze.