Five Killed and 80 Missing after Fire Engulfs Philippines Ferry

The coast guard said 42 people have been rescued and efforts are ongoing to find more than 80 others missing since the incident near Palawan island.

The ferry MV June Aster, listed as carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew, had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan province when the fire started on Wednesday.

Footage released by the ‌coast guard showed flames ‌engulfing parts of the vessel and responders placing bodies in body bags.

Coast guard personnel tossed life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background, while small boats also took survivors into shallow waters.

Of the 42 people rescued on Wednesday night, 38 were passengers and four crew members, the officials said.

“Based on the data that we have right now, the rescued and casualty, we are still searching for 87 people,” coast guard spokesperson, Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, told DZXL radio.

The injured were rushed to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda, located north of Marcilla.

Ms Cayabyab said ​the number of those missing may change as ‌the rescue operation ⁠continues into Thursday morning.

The blaze, which erupted at 6pm local time, was put out on Thursday morning, but thick smoke still billowed from the vessel, she added.

A first responder told the BBC that the blaze was “really heartbreaking” and unlike any disaster they had seen in Coron. “I was one of the people who carried and transported the casualties to the hospital last night,” the first responder said.

Rescuers braved bad weather and big waves to find the survivors as sea currents dragged the ferry several nautical miles from its initial location, Ms Cayabyab said.

There was no information about any foreigners onboard, coast guard information officer Joy Gumatay told reporters.

Officials said it was immediately unclear what caused the fire onboard the passenger ferry and the coast guard was coordinating with the shipping company to get more details.

The ferry was operated by Atienza Interisland Shipping Line, who are yet to comment on the incident.

Ferries are a popular mode of transport in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.

Some of the country’s deadliest maritime disasters have involved ferries, including the 1987 Dona Paz sinking, which killed more than 4,300 people, making it one of the world’s worst peacetime sea disasters.

At least 18 people were killed in January when a ferry carrying more than 350 people sank off the coast of Baluk-baluk Island.

In 2023, more than 30 people were killed after a fire tore through a ferry in the southern Philippines.

Source: www.independent.co.uk