Five people have been killed and 87 are missing after a passenger ferry burst into flames in a popular tourist spot in the Philippines. The coastguard confirmed five casualties as a result of the blaze as a search and rescue operation continues.
Vessel carried 134 people
The vessel, the MV June Aster, was carrying 134 people, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members, and was headed to Coron. Coast guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station: “Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for.
“Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change as our search and rescue operations are ongoing.” Cayabyab confirmed that 38 passengers were rescued alongside four crew members.
Fire reported near Barangay Marcilla
The vessel caught fire 1.2 nautical miles from Barangay Marcilla and was travelling from Manila, the country's capital, when the fire was reported at around 6.45pm. The coastguard continue to work to extinguish the flames while carrying out searches in its immediate vicinity.
However, they have confirmed that the weather has made this difficult. A spokesperson said: "The weather [last night] was poor, and the waves in the area were strong.
"Reports from our vessel indicate strong currents in the area," he said, noting that the vessel had drifted from its initial distress location – four nautical miles off Barangay Turda – to a point 7.68 nautical miles away. "It has been carried further out by the current. These are the challenges our personnel are facing in the search area."
