So far, 42 people have been rescued and efforts were ongoing, so the count of 87 people missing may change, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said in a radio interview.
The ferry MV June Aster had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan Province when the fire started around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Images from the scene showed the ferry was still on fire. Coast guard personnel tossed life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background. Passengers were helped into smaller boats taking them to shallow water, and body bags were laid out at what looked like a port.
A survivor is assisted as he alights from a small boat after being rescued from a burning ferry off Palawan Province, Philippines, on Sept. 9, 2026. Photo by AP
Bad weather and big waves were challenging rescuers. The ferry was around 4 nautical miles (7.4 kilometers) off Coron’s village of Turda when it sent a distress signal but strong sea currents had dragged it to a distance of 7.68 nautical miles (14.2 km) off Turda.
