Five dead and 86 missing as 'heartbreaking' fire breaks out on Philippines ferry

What the report says

At least five people have died and 86 others are missing after a fire broke out on a passenger ferry in the Philippines, according to the Philippine Coast Guard, as reported by BBC World News. The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members from Manila when it caught fire while approaching Coron in Palawan, a popular tourist destination. The blaze began on Wednesday evening and was still being battled the following morning, with officials saying strong currents and poor weather were making rescue and firefighting efforts more difficult.

BBC reported that coastguard teams rescued 43 people and brought them to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda, while the vessel drifted farther from its initial distress location. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and officials said they had not yet spoken to the rescued passengers. Video shared by the coastguard showed the ferry engulfed in flames and people being pulled into rescue boats.

The disaster has left families searching for relatives, with several telling BBC reporters they were waiting for updates at hospitals and on social media. Maritime accidents remain a recurring concern in the Philippines, an island nation that relies heavily on ferries for travel between provinces, especially when weather conditions are unstable. If the missing are not found quickly, this incident could rank among the country’s deadliest ferry emergencies in recent years.