Five dead and more than 80 missing after ferry fire off Palawan
Five people died, 43 were rescued and more than 80 remained unaccounted for after a ferry caught fire off Coron, Palawan.
Coron, Philippines. Five people died and more than 80 others were missing after a ferry caught fire in waters off Coron, Palawan, on Wednesday night, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Thursday.
Forty-three people were rescued after the fire broke out aboard the MV June Aster.
Rescue operation
Coast Guard footage showed flames engulfing parts of the vessel, while responders placed bodies in body bags.
Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab told DZXL radio that the vessel’s manifest listed 117 passengers and 17 crew members. Based on the reported number of survivors and fatalities, more than 80 people remained unaccounted for.
Cayabyab said the figures could change as the rescue operation continued.
Route and investigation
The ferry had departed from Baseco in Manila and was bound for Coron.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This news item was generated automatically by Cyprus Inform from publicly available materials. Report an error →