Five people have died and 87 remain unaccounted for after the passenger ferry MV June Aster caught fire off Palawan in the Philippines.
The fire broke out on Wednesday, as the ferry was sailing towards Coron, its destination on Busuanga Island. The vessel had departed Manila and was carrying 134 people, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
As of September 10, 42 people had been rescued, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Reports gave the breakdown as 38 passengers and four crew members. Search and rescue operations remained underway for the missing.
MV June Aster sent a distress signal when it was about four nautical miles off Turda near Coron. Strong currents later pushed the ferry to around 7.68 nautical miles offshore, making the rescue more difficult.
The ferry remained afloat after the fire was extinguished but was listing, with smoke still rising from the damaged vessel. Coast Guard ships and high-speed response boats were joined by a military vessel, government craft, private volunteers and local fishermen. Coastal communities were asked to assist if survivors reached shore.
Rough seas and bad weather hampered the search.
The cause of the fire remained unclear. One survivor reportedly told authorities that the blaze may have started in the cargo hold.
