At least five people have died and 87 others are missing following a devastating fire on a passenger ferry near Coron, a popular tourist destination in Palawan province, Philippines. The country’s Coast Guard is conducting a large-scale rescue operation to find them.
The fire erupted on Wednesday evening on the M/V June Aster ferry, approximately 2.2 kilometers off the coast. The ferry was en route from Manila to Coron, carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
A video released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed the ferry engulfed in flames.
On Thursday, Coast Guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab stated that the ferry’s passenger and crew manifest listed a total of 134 names. So far, five bodies have been recovered, and 42 individuals have been rescued alive, including 38 passengers and four crew members.
The search operation for the remaining 87 missing individuals is ongoing. Concurrently, relevant authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
According to Cayabyab, the rescued individuals are not yet in a condition to speak. This has made it difficult to collect information regarding the cause of the fire and the location of passengers on the ferry when the blaze started.
Coron, a well-known destination in the Palawan region, is popular among tourists. The ill-fated ferry had departed from Manila, the capital of the country, for Coron.