FIVE people have died and 87 remain unaccounted for after a ferry carrying 134 passengers and crew caught fire off Busuanga Island in Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said today.
PCG Captain Noemi Cayabyab said 42 people had been rescued, while five bodies were recovered and 87 people remained unaccounted for.
“Based on the data we currently have, 42 were rescued, five victims died and there are still 87 people who have not been located,” Cayabyab told a local radio station.
She said the vessel’s manifest listed 134 passengers and crew members.
The June Aster reportedly departed Manila yesterday bound for Coron port on Busuanga Island, carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
The ferry caught fire at about 6.45pm yesterday while it was about one nautical mile from Marcilla town on the eastern side of Busuanga.
Several PCG units and other government agencies rushed to the scene, assisted by commercial vessels from Coron port.
Footage released by the PCG showed flames engulfing the vessel as the first rescue teams arrived at the scene.
Five bodies were recovered while 42 people were rescued. Authorities were still working to establish the precise number of missing people, although the figure remained high based on the initial manifest.
The PCG said search and rescue operations continued throughout the night, while the cause of the fire remained under investigation. - September 10, 2026
