By el Amigo
MANILA — At least five people have died and 86 others remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Palawan while en route to the tourist destination of Coron, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday.
The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members when the blaze broke out Wednesday evening, according to Coast Guard Commodore Noemi Cayabyab.
Forty-three people have been rescued, while five fatalities have been confirmed. The Coast Guard said the figure of 86 possible missing passengers and crew members remains subject to change as search and rescue operations continue.
Cayabyab said the fire had not yet been completely extinguished, with smoke still visible from the vessel. The ferry was located about 7.6 nautical miles, or roughly 14 kilometers, off the coastal village of Turda.
The vessel departed the Port of Baseco in Manila at 8:13 p.m. on Sept. 8 and was expected to reach the Port of Coron at about 6 p.m. the following day.
The Coast Guard said it received the first report of the incident at around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday and immediately dispatched rescue assets, arriving in the area within minutes.
One survivor, passenger Roland Lerma, reportedly spent about two hours in the water before being rescued.
Cayabyab said the MV June Aster was built in 2002 and has a capacity of 306 passengers and 27 crew members. The vessel underwent a compliance inspection on March 10, including checks on life jackets and other safety requirements.
Atienza Interisland Ferries, the vessel’s operator, expressed “profound sadness and deep concern” over the incident and said it was cooperating with authorities in the rescue effort and investigation into the cause of the fire.
The company said rescued passengers had been brought to hospitals and pledged full cooperation and transparency as authorities determine what caused the blaze.
ia/xf
