Five people have died and 86 are missing after a ferry set afire near Coron, Palawan in the Philippines.
The MV June Aster had departed Manila with 117 passengers and 17 crew, expecting to arrive in the tourist town of Coron. At approximately 18:00 local time, a fire erupted on the vessel and by 11:00 UTC the blaze was still burning.
Coastguard spokesman said strong currents and poor weather were hampering efforts, and the ship drifted from the initial distress point (four nautical miles off Barangay Turda) to a location 7.68 nautical miles from the port.
Survivors have been transported to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda. The injuries of the rescued remain unclear, but all 43 survivors have yet to be spoken to by officials.
Families in Palawan are mourning their missing relatives. Anelyn Magbanua reports her husband, who was aboard, is unaccounted for and her son is with her in the hospital, while other recoveries are awaited.
In addition, the fire also claimed several friends of a fisherman named Rai Garcia. The community has posted missing‑person notices on social media, urging authorities to locate those lost in the flames.
The Philippines, home to 7,100 islands, frequently experiences maritime accidents, especially with inter‑island ferries that ferry people and cargo between locations unreachable by air. Severe weather, monsoon rains, and typhoons add to the danger, with an average of 20 cyclones each year.
Last year a similar tragedy claimed 31 lives when a fire broke out on the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 near Mindanao. The current incident, with 86 missing, ranks among the worst in recent Filipino maritime history.
