Five dead, dozens missing in ferry fire in the Philippines

At least five people have been killed, and 87 remain missing after a fire broke out on board a ferry in the Philippines, near a popular tourist destination in the province of Palawan, according to the country’s coastguard. The coastguard reported that the ferry, the M/V June Aster, had 134 listed passengers and crew when it sank off the coast of Palawan. The fire erupted on Wednesday evening about 2.2 kilometers (1.3 miles) offshore, and five casualties have been brought ashore. Coastguard Captain Noemi Cayabyab stated on Thursday that 42 people had been rescued so far, as reported by the AFP news agency. "Based on the data we have right now on rescued and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for," she said, adding that the ship’s manifest had listed 134 passengers and crew. "Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change, as our search and rescue operations are ongoing," Cayabyab noted. Of those rescued, 38 were passengers, and four were crew members. She mentioned that they have not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued individuals because they have not been able to speak with them, and attempts to extinguish the blaze were ongoing. The Reuters news agency reported that 43 people were rescued as of Wednesday night. The ferry had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan province when the fire started. The reports did not mention the possible cause of the blaze. Sea accidents are considered common in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands regularly affected by monsoon rains and typhoons that can make travel conditions hazardous. Poor vessel maintenance and overcrowding, along with sometimes inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations, have been blamed for past accidents. A ferry carrying more than 350 people sank off the coast of Baluk-baluk island in January, resulting in at least 18 fatalities.