Palawan Ferry Fire Claims 5 Lives, 87 Missing; Rescue Operations Ongoing

MANILA, Philippines — At least five people were killed and 87 remain unaccounted for after a fire erupted aboard a ferry near a tourist hotspot in the Philippine province of Palawan, the coast guard said Thursday. The fire aboard the M/V June Aster broke out Wednesday evening about 2.2 kilometers (1.3 miles) offshore, the coast guard said, adding that five casualties had been brought ashore. Video shared by the coast guard on Facebook showed the vessel completely engulfed in flames. READ: Passenger ferry caught fire off Coron, Palawan “Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for,” coast guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station on Thursday, adding the ship’s manifest had listed 134 passengers and crew. “Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change as our search and rescue operations are ongoing,” she said. Of those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew, Cayabyab said. READ: Search on for missing passengers of vessel off Palawan “However, we have not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued individuals because we have not been able to speak with them,” she said, adding attempts to put out the blaze were ongoing. Tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the June Aster had departed from Manila. /dl First posted 9:17 am