At least five people have been confirmed dead and 86 others remain unaccounted for after a passenger vessel caught fire near the Philippine tourist destination of Coron.
The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members when flames broke out at about 18:45 local time on Wednesday as the ship approached its destination.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the fire was still raging by 11:00 on Thursday, with rescue teams facing strong sea currents and heavy smoke while attempting to contain the blaze.
So far, 43 individuals have been brought to safety, although authorities have yet to establish the number of injured.
Seven survivors were transported to a medical facility on the neighbouring island of Culion, which has greater capacity and more extensive healthcare services.
One passenger, Roland Lerma, said he spent approximately two hours in the water before rescuers reached him.
“It was cold. If the rescue had been delayed, I would definitely have died,” he told the BBC.
Footage released by the coastguard showed the ship surrounded by flames while rescue personnel pulled passengers from the sea and transferred them onto emergency boats.
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the incident. However, initial accounts from rescued passengers indicate that the blaze may have originated in the vessel’s cargo area.
Officials also reported that some passengers had not been wearing life jackets when the emergency occurred.
A first responder described the incident as one of the most devastating emergencies witnessed in Coron, saying it was “really heartbreaking”.
The responder said they helped carry injured passengers and transport casualties to hospital during the night, adding that the vessel was about an hour from reaching its destination when the fire began.
Those rescued were moved to an evacuation facility in Barangay Turda, north of Marcilla, while relatives continued searching for information about missing passengers.
Among those feared missing are Mae Lorraine Galera-Navoa, her husband Elyzer Navoa and their three-year-old daughter, Hiraya Joy.
The family had travelled to Luzon for the funeral of Mae’s father and were returning to El Nido in Palawan when the vessel caught fire.
Their relative, Rai Garcia, said the family had received no information about their whereabouts.
“We still hope and pray for their safety,” Garcia said, explaining that relatives had been relying on local news platforms and social media for updates.
The family has circulated an appeal using a photograph Mae had taken aboard the vessel in an effort to obtain information about their whereabouts.
Other relatives have also turned to the Philippine Coast Guard’s social media pages to seek help locating loved ones.
Ferry incidents are a recurring concern in the Philippines, an archipelagic nation where boats provide an affordable means of travelling between numerous islands, particularly communities without convenient air connections.
The country’s maritime routes can be hazardous because of typhoons, seasonal rains and rough seas.
The Philippines experiences an average of about 20 typhoons annually.
Previous maritime tragedies have also been linked to inadequate vessel maintenance and inconsistent implementation of safety regulations.
In 2023, 31 people were killed when the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 caught fire while travelling from Zamboanga City to Basilan in the southern Philippines.
With dozens of passengers still missing, the latest incident could become one of the country’s most serious maritime disasters in recent years.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong