Fire on passenger ferry in the Philippines leaves at least 5 dead and dozens missing
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In this image taken from video provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, remains of ferry MV June Aster that caught fire off Palawan province, western Philippines on Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
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In this image provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a survivor is assisted as he alights from a small boat after being rescued from a burning ferry off Palawan province, Philippines on Wednesday Sept. 9, 2026. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers struggled on Thursday to get into a passenger ferry that had caught fire and burned overnight off the western Philippines, leaving five people dead and 86 missing, officials said.
By nightfall, search and rescue operations were halted but were to resume in the morning.
So far, 43 people have been rescued, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
The ferry MV June Aster was afloat but listing off the town of Coron after the fire that started on Wednesday evening. Smoke still rose from the charred vessel by midday Thursday.
Cayabyab said authorities were still trying to confirm reports that two foreigners were onboard, checking the names on the manifest and coordinating with local government officials and the shipping company on the identities of the fatalities, survivors and missing.
According to the manifest, 134 people were onboard, 117 of them passengers and 17 crew. The vessel had a capacity to carry 306 passengers and 27 crew.
The 53-meter-long ferry had sailed from the capital of Manila and was near its destination of Coron in Palawan province when the fire was reported by the shipping company around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the coast guard said.
Rescuers have been trying to enter the ship but have encountered difficulty because of thick smoke. “Our objective now is to enter the ship, to check the situation so we can assess the situation,” Cayabyab said.
Later on Thursday evening, search and rescue operations were suspended and will resume in the morning, she added.
Cayabyab said it was unclear what caused the fire, which one survivor said may have begun in the cargo hold, and the coast guard was coordinating with the shipping company and maritime authorities to get more details.
The survivor reported “a loud explosion, then followed by smoke and fire,” she added. “As per the testimony of the survivor, everything happened quickly; within seconds the fire spread.”
A coast guard ship and high-speed response boats were joined in the search and rescue by a military vessel and other government boats, volunteers and fishermen.
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