Five dead and 87 missing as passenger ferry catches fire in Philippines

A fire broke out on a passenger ferry off the coast of the Philippine province of Palawan, resulting in at least five deaths and 87 people missing. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the M/V June Aster caught fire 1.2 nautical miles northeast of the city of Coron around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

So far, 43 people have been rescued. The coast guard reported that bad weather and large waves posed a challenge to rescue efforts. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Philippine Coast Guard shared footage and images of the incident, showing large sections of the vessel engulfed in flames, survivors being pulled out of the water onto rescue boats, and black body bags laid out in a port.

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