Passenger Ferry Fire Off Philippines Leaves Many Missing and Several Dead

Manila, Philippines — A fire broke out on a passenger ferry off the western coast of the Philippines overnight, leading to at least five deaths and dozens of missing persons on Thursday. The MV June Aster ferry was the scene of the disaster, with ongoing search and rescue operations. Coast Guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab reported the rescue of 43 individuals.

The ferry remained afloat but tilted after the fire was extinguished. The blaze began on Wednesday evening, and by midday Thursday, smoke was still visible from the damaged vessel. The incident occurred near Palawan as the ferry was nearing its destination of Coron, having sailed from Manila.

Challenging weather conditions, including strong sea currents, hampered rescue efforts. Rescue teams utilized drift-modeling tools to predict the locations where passengers might have been carried. A distress signal emitted when the ferry was four nautical miles from Turda, only for the vessel to drift out to 7.68 nautical miles due to the currents.

Noemie Cayabyab noted an intense search involving Coast Guard and military vessels, private volunteers, and fishermen. Data from coastal villages was also under review to account for any passengers reaching the shore. Nearby ships were alerted via radio broadcasts to watch for individuals in the water.

“We are continuing search-and-rescue operations,” Cayabyab said, emphasizing the collective effort in the mission.

Rescue scenes revealed Coast Guard staff providing life jackets to survivors while flames consumed the ferry in the background. Smaller boats transported survivors to shallower areas, where set-up areas included visible body bags at what appeared to be a port.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but a survivor suggested it might have started in the cargo hold. The ferry hosted 134 people, comprising 117 passengers and 17 crew members, with no immediate information on foreign passengers.

The Philippines archipelago relies heavily on ferry transport, leading to frequent sea accidents. Contributing factors include severe weather, poor vessel maintenance, overcrowding, and inconsistent regulation enforcement. Historical incidents underscore the risks, notably the 1987 sinking of the Dona Paz ferry, with over 4,300 fatalities after a collision with a fuel tanker. This remains the most lethal peacetime maritime disaster globally.