At least five dead and 86 missing after ferry fire off Palawan

A passenger ferry caught fire off the western Philippines overnight, leaving at least five people dead and 86 others unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continued on Thursday. The blaze broke out on the M/V June Aster about 2.2 km offshore near Coron in Palawan province, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. The vessel had departed from Manila and was nearing its destination when the fire started on Wednesday evening.

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Officials said 134 people were on board, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members. More than 40 people had been rescued by Thursday, while five casualties had been brought ashore. A coast guard spokeswoman said the figures were still changing as the operation continued, and that another rescued person had been reported but not yet identified.

She said the authorities had not yet been able to speak with the rescued passengers because the response was still under way. The search effort involved a coast guard ship, high-speed response boats, a military vessel, other government boats, private volunteers and fishermen. Challenging weather conditions complicated the operation, while smoke was still visible over the charred vessel by midday on Thursday.

Passengers were helped into smaller boats and taken to shallow water as crews worked to contain the blaze and account for those still missing. The fire is the latest serious maritime disaster to affect the Philippines, an archipelago where ferries are a major form of transport between islands. The incident also comes after other deadly ferry accidents in the country in recent years, underscoring the risks faced by passengers travelling on busy domestic routes.

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Coron is a tourist destination in Palawan, making the route significant for both local travel and visitor traffic. Authorities have not said what caused the fire, and there was no immediate information on whether any foreigners were on board. The coast guard described the figures as live data, meaning the number of rescued and missing people could still change.

Officials are expected to continue rescue and recovery efforts while trying to confirm the identities of those saved and those still unaccounted for. What remains unclear is the cause of the blaze, the condition of the rescued passengers and whether the final toll will rise. The next updates are likely to focus on the search operation, the confirmation of identities and any findings from the vessel once it is secured.

For now, the priority remains locating the missing and bringing the fire under control.

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