10 September,2026 10:01 AM IST | Philippines | AP
The ferry, MV June Aster, had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan province when the fire broke out on Wednesday. Pic/ X
A fire broke out on a passenger ferry in waters off the western Philippines, leaving at least five people dead and 87 missing, the coast guard said on Thursday.
So far, 42 people have been rescued, and rescue efforts are ongoing. The number of people reported missing may change, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said in a radio interview.
The ferry, MV June Aster, had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan province when the fire broke out on Wednesday.
Cayabyab said 134 people were on board, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
Images from the scene showed coast guard personnel tossing life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background.
Small boats were also seen taking survivors into shallow water.
Ferries are a common mode of transportation in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding and uneven enforcement of safety regulations, particularly in remote provinces.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
