Five Dead and Dozens Missing in Philippines Ferry Fire

A passenger ferry carrying 134 people caught fire near the province of Palawan in the central Philippines on Wednesday evening, leaving at least five people dead and dozens unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are continuing as responders attempt to find survivors and extinguish the vessel.

Discrepancies in Rescue Figures

The vessel, named the MV June Aster, departed Manila carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members. The fire began at approximately 6:45 p.m. local time (10:45 GMT) on Wednesday as the ship reached a distance of 2.2 kilometers (1.3 miles) from its destination of Coron.

Reports from authorities and news agencies differ on the exact number of survivors and missing individuals. Philippine Coast Guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab stated that rescuers brought 42 people to safety, consisting of 38 passengers and four crew members, leaving 87 missing. Alternate accounts from Reuters and the BBC put the number of rescued at 43 and the missing at 86. Both tally variations account for the five confirmed fatalities from the overall manifest of 134 onboard.

Rescue Efforts and Survivor Accounts

Response teams faced difficult conditions while working to put out the fire. Coastguard officials reported that the ship remained ablaze into Thursday morning, with firefighting efforts slowed by thick smoke and strong sea currents. Video published by the coastguard showed flames spreading across large sections of the vessel while emergency crews pulled people from the water.

Some survivors spent hours in the sea before rescue boats located them. Survivor Roland Lerma told the BBC, “It was cold. If the rescue had been delayed, I would definitely have died.” An unnamed emergency worker told the BBC that responders had not previously seen a disaster of this scale in Coron.

Seven of the rescued passengers were transported to a medical facility on the nearby island of Culion for treatment due to its capacity and healthcare resources. Other survivors were moved to an evacuation site at Barangay Turda. The exact severity of injuries among those rescued has not been disclosed.

Investigation into Cargo Hold Origin

An official cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Preliminary interviews conducted by the coastguard with survivors suggest that the outbreak started inside the cargo hold, where freight and containers were stowed. Rescuers noted that several people recovered from the water were not wearing life jackets.

Family members of those on board have sought updates through online platforms. Relatives of Mae Lorraine Galera-Navoa, her husband Elyzer Navoa, and their three-year-old child, Hiraya Joy, stated they had received no information regarding the family’s status after they boarded the ferry following a funeral in Luzon.

Background

Inter-island ferries serve as a key transit method across the Philippine archipelago, which comprises more than 7,000 islands. Ferries provide affordable transportation for passengers and freight, particularly to island destinations without operational airports.

Maritime travel in the region carries ongoing safety risks caused by severe weather patterns. The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually alongside heavy monsoon precipitation. Domestic marine transport has also been impacted by vessel overcrowding, inadequate maintenance, and inconsistent enforcement of safety codes.

The incident follows other recent maritime disasters in the region. In January 2026, a sinking incident involving a ferry carrying more than 350 people near Baluk-baluk island resulted in at least 18 deaths. In 2023, a fire aboard the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 off Basilan island caused 31 fatalities.