• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. MV June Aster caught fire off Palawan, Philippines.
  2. Five people confirmed dead, over 80 remain missing.
  3. Search and rescue operations continue; fire cause unknown.

Philippines Boat Tragedy: At least five people have died and more than 80 remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off Palawan in the western Philippines on Wednesday night. A search-and-rescue operation is underway. The MV June Aster, carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members, was travelling from Manila to Coron when the fire broke out.

Video Shows Vessel In Flames

According to Reuters, citing Philippine Coast Guard, forty-three people were rescued on ⁠Wednesday, while search for missing is ongoing. Footage released by the Coast Guard showed the vessel engulfed in flames in the middle of the water, while rescuers were seen recovering bodies and placing them in body bags. Philippines Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the vessel’s manifest listed 117 passengers and 17 crew members.

Cause Of Fire Not Known

Based on the reported number of survivors and fatalities, more than 80 people remain unaccounted for. Additionally, authorities have warned that the figures could change as the rescue operation continues. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

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According to BBC, citing a PCG spokesman, difficult weather conditions have hampered the rescue operation. He also noted that the weather was poor overnight, with strong waves and currents reported in the area. He added that the ferry had drifted from its initial distress location, about four nautical miles off Barangay Turda, to a point 7.68 nautical miles away, carried further out to sea by the strong current.

Past Maritime Incident

Maritime accidents are said to be common in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands where ferries are widely used to transport people and goods across the country. Earlier in January this year, the passenger and cargo ferry MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sank off Basilan province while travelling from Zamboanga City toward Jolo Island. The incident left at least 66 dead, with 12 and 28 others missing, while 293 passengers and crew members were rescued.

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