At least five people have died and 87 remain unaccounted for after a fire broke out aboard the M/V June Aster near Coron in the Philippines’ Palawan province, the coastguard said. The ferry’s manifest listed 134 passengers and crew; 42 people had been rescued, including 38 passengers and four crew, while search-and-rescue operations continued and the figures could change.
What happened aboard the ferry
The fire erupted on Wednesday evening when the vessel was about 2.2km offshore. Coastguard video showed much of the ferry engulfed in flames, and efforts to extinguish the blaze were still under way. For additional context, see “Nepal marks final mourning day while flood rescue teams search”.
The ferry had sailed from Manila and was near Coron, a popular tourist destination, when the fire started. The coastguard said it had not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued passengers and crew.
Cause of the fire remains unknown
No possible cause of the blaze was reported. The coastguard’s figures were described as live data while rescue teams continued their work. A related part of this story is covered in “Nepal flood disaster leaves thousands missing as rescue access remains difficult”.
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