At least five dead and 87 missing after monster fire engulfs passenger ferry in the Philippines

AT LEAST five people have been killed and 87 are missing after a huge fire broke out on a passenger ferry in the Philippines. The blaze erupted aboard the MV June Aster off the coast of Coron, a tourist hotspot in the Palawan province. Forty-two people have now been rescued, according to the coastguard. The vessel was carrying 134 people, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members, local media reports. Officials said the blaze broke out Wednesday evening about 2.2kms (1.3 miles) off Palawan island in the western Philippines. Coast guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station: “Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for. READ MORE “Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change as our search and rescue operations are ongoing.” Of those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew, Cayabyab said. “However, we have not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued individuals because we have not been able to speak with them,” she added. Tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the June Aster had departed from Manila. Most read in The Sun Shocking video footage shows the ferry completely engulfed in flames. Other clips appear to show people being pulled out of the water. In a social media post, a coastguard spokesperson said: “A total of 42 individuals have been rescued, while five casualties were initially reported and brought to the Barangay Turda Covered Court in Coron, Palawan. “The casualties will be turned over to Coron Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) for proper disposition. “Meanwhile, the Coast Guard District Palawan and other responding units continue to conduct systematic search operations within the vicinity waters of Coron, Palawan.” Emergency services said search and rescue operations remain ongoing. However, difficult weather conditions means the current has pushed the boat further out to sea. “The weather [last night] was poor, and the waves in the area were strong,” a spokesman said. “Reports from our vessel indicate strong currents in the area,” he said, noting that the vessel had drifted from its initial distress location – four nautical miles off Barangay Turda – to a point 7.68 nautical miles away. “It has been carried further out by the current. These are the challenges our personnel are facing in the search area.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.