Fire on a ferry leaves 5 dead and 87 missing in the Philippines

At least five people have died and 87 are missing after a fire struck a boat near a tourist area in the western Philippines' Palawan province, the country's coast guard said on Thursday. The fire started the night before on board the M/V June Aster ferry near the coast and mobilized rescue teams in an ongoing operation.

According to the captain of the guard Noemi Cayabab, the manifesto of the vessel registered 134 passengers and crew. So far, 42 people have been rescued alive and five bodies have been located. "Based on the data we have on the rescued (42) and the dead (five), there are still 87 people missing," the official told local radio.

The fire started at night near Palawan.

The fire started on Wednesday night, according to the coast guard. The vessel was close to the coast of Palawan, a region known for beaches and dive sites that attract tourists from around the world. Data from marine monitoring service MarineTraffic show that the ferry had departed from Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

The cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed by the authorities. The source did not detail whether there was an explosion, mechanical failure or another factor. What is known is that the incident occurred in an area of intense maritime traffic, which may have hindered the first relief actions.

Rescue mobilizes coast guard and nearby vessels

Philippine coast guard teams were triggered shortly after the alert and began searching the area. Vessels sailing nearby also provided support, according to initial reports. The operation involves boats, helicopters and divers, although the source has not specified the exact number of resources employed.

Captain Cayabyab pointed out that the numbers are dynamic. "For the sake of clarity, these are real-time updated data and may change as search and rescue operations proceed," he said. The statement indicates that the number of victims may increase or decrease as searches progress.

Manifesto lists 134 people on board

The official document of the vessel pointed to 134 occupants, between passengers and crew. The difference between this total and the sum of rescued, dead and missing is 87 people, just the number cited by the coast guard. The source did not specify the nationality of the victims or whether there were children or elderly people among the occupants.

The authorities have not yet released the full list of passengers. Families and friends of possible victims have been searching for information in ports and hospitals in the region. The coast guard promised to update the data periodically, but did not set a deadline for the completion of the searches.

Maritime accidents are frequent in the archipelago

The Philippines, made up of more than 7,000 islands, relies heavily on shipping for the movement of people and cargo. Ferries and passenger boats are common means of travel between islands, but accidents are not uncommon. Storms, overcrowding and mechanical failures have already provoked previous tragedies in the country.

In 1987, the shipwreck of the ferry Doña Paz left more than 4,000 dead, in the worst maritime disaster in peacetime. Since then, authorities have tightened safety standards, but incidents like Thursday's show that risks persist. The source did not detail whether the M/V June Aster was within the allowed capacity.

The search for missing persons continues without a defined deadline.

Search and rescue operations continue on Thursday, with teams sweeping the area and surrounding areas. The coast guard did not say if there were any survivors at sea or if all of the missing were on the boat at the time of the fire. The priority, according to the authorities, is to locate people alive.

Meanwhile, hospitals in the area are preparing to receive wounded. The source did not detail the state of health of the 42 rescued, nor whether there are any serious cases. The local community follows the search with apprehension, and many volunteer to help where possible.

The tragedy reignites the debate over the safety of shipping in the Philippines and is expected to spark investigations in the coming days. The Boca no Trombone portal will continue to monitor the developments and will bring new information once it is confirmed by the authorities.

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