At least five people died, and more than 80 are missing after a ferry caught fire off Palawan Island in the Philippines.
According to Reuters, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Thursday, September 10, that a ferry caught fire in the western Philippines on Wednesday night aboard the MV June Aster in waters off Coron, Palawan.
Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab told DZXL radio that the vessel’s manifest listed 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
Forty-three people were rescued at night as the search operation for the dozens of passengers continued.
Coast Guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab said on Thursday, “Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for,” adding that the numbers could change as rescue efforts are underway.
She also said that the ferry departed from Baseco in Manila and was bound for Coron.
The Coast Guard also shared footage of a burning ferry, showing flames engulfing parts of the vessels as responders place bodies in body bags.
Drone footage released by the Coast Guard showed the blackened ferry surrounded by clear blue-green waters, with the vessel still generating smoke hours after the fire broke out on Wednesday night.
Aileen Ausente, a spokesperson for PCG in Palawan, revealed that among the 43 people rescued were two Chilean nationals, adding that air assets were on standby to help with rescue operations, the weather permitting.
Cayabyab also explained that the rescuers could not yet enter the vessel, with the search hampered by thick smoke still billowing from the ferry as well as concerns about extreme heat and the risk of explosions.
The burned ferry has drifted from its original location overnight due to currents and winds, adding a challenge for the rescue workers.
Furthermore, as per the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), multiple vessels and other assets were deployed for the search and rescue as teams deployed drift-modelling tools to identify areas where people may have been swept away by currents.
