A passenger ferry caught fire near Palawan, leaving five people dead and 87 others missing as rescue operations continue.

A fire broke out aboard the MV June Aster passenger ferry on Wednesday night off the coast of Palawan in the western Philippines. The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that at least five people have died and 87 remain missing, while 42 survivors have been rescued. The vessel was traveling from Manila toward the tourist destination of Coron when the blaze occurred approximately 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla.

Rescue Operations and Vessel Details

The Philippine Coast Guard reported that the rescued individuals include 38 passengers and four crew members. These survivors were transported to an evacuation center in Barangay Turda. According to the ship's manifest, there were 117 passengers and 17 crew members on board, totaling 134 people. Officials have cautioned that these figures are preliminary and may change as search and rescue efforts proceed. Footage and photographs released by the Coast Guard show the vessel engulfed in flames and thick smoke. Emergency teams were observed recovering bodies from the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Location and Context

The incident took place near the municipality of Coron, an area in Palawan province known for its tourism, including scuba diving sites featuring World War Two shipwrecks. The ferry had departed from the Port of Manila prior to the fire. Vessel-tracking data from MarineTraffic confirmed the ship's departure from Manila.