Philippine ferry fire kills 5, 87 missing

A fire aboard a ferry near a popular tourist destination in the Philippine province of Palawan claimed at least five lives and left 87 people missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, around 2.2 kilometers offshore. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

The M/V June Aster, which had 134 people on board as per its manifest, was completely engulfed in flames when videos shared by the coast guard on Facebook showed the vessel in distress. At least five casualties were brought to shore, with 38 of those rescued identified as passengers and four as crew members.

Coast guard captain Noemi Cayabyab mentioned that the data on rescued individuals and casualties is live and subject to change as search and rescue operations continue. She also noted that attempts to communicate with the rescued individuals have not yet been successful.

Tracking data from MarineTraffic revealed that the June Aster departed from Manila earlier that day. The ongoing fire and the unaccounted for passengers have raised concerns among authorities and the public alike.