Passenger Ship Catches Fire Off Coron, Palawan; Multiple Casualties Feared

Coron Mayor Marjo Reyes has released contact numbers where people may call to check on their missing relatives after passenger ship MV June Aster caught fire in waters off Coron, Palawan Wednesday night. The Philippine Coast Guard continues its search and rescue operations for the passengers of MV June Aster, which caught fire in the waters off Coron, Palawan, around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9. According to the manifest, the vessel had 117 passengers and 17 crew members. As of 11 p.m., five people have been reported dead, while 42 have been rescued from the burning passenger vessel. Five persons have been reported dead, while 42 others have been rescued after a passenger ship carrying more than 100 passengers from El Nido caught fire in waters off Coron on Wednesday night. A fire engulfed a passenger ship carrying more than 100 passengers in waters off Coron, Palawan, on Wednesday night. According to a report on "State of the Nation," MV June Aster was engulfed by flames at 7 p.m. The ship had more than 100 passengers and 17 crew members.