A major search and rescue operation is underway off Palawan in the Philippines after a ferry was engulfed by fire on Wednesday evening, leaving five people confirmed dead and 87 passengers and crew members still missing.
The Philippines Coast Guard said 42 people had been rescued from the June Aster, which suffered the serious blaze on 9 September as it approached the popular tourist destination of Palawan. The vessel issued a distress call when it was approximately four nautical miles from Barangay Tumarbong.
According to Philippines Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, the ferry’s manifest listed 134 people on board: 117 passengers and 17 crew members. Based on that manifest, 87 people remain unaccounted for as search and rescue teams continue their efforts.
Cayabyab stressed, however, that the figures should be considered live data and could change as the operation develops. Passenger manifests in the Philippines do not always accurately reflect the actual number of people aboard passenger vessels, making the final toll and number of missing people subject to change.
The June Aster was travelling from the Philippine capital Manila toward Palawan when the fire broke out. Videos shared on social media on 9 September showed flames spreading across and engulfing the vessel.
Footage recorded later showed the ferry’s entire outer structure heavily damaged by fire, while flames were still visible in the passenger areas.
The circumstances surrounding the fire and the fate of those still missing remain under investigation as rescue teams continue searching the area.
The five confirmed fatalities had not yet been identified at the time of writing.
