WorldA fire broke out on a passenger ferry in waters off the western Philippines, leaving dozens of people missing, the coast guard said Thursday. At least five people were killed.Bad weather and big waves were challenging rescuers, coast guard saysThe Associated Press · Posted: Sep 09, 2026 10:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.A survivor is assisted off a small boat after being rescued from a burning ferry off Palawan province, Philippines, on Wednesday. (Philippine Coast Guard/The Associated Press)A fire broke out on a passenger ferry in waters off the western Philippines, leaving dozens of people missing, the coast guard said Thursday. At least five people were killed. So far, 42 people have been rescued and efforts were ongoing, so the count of 87 people missing may change, coast guard spokesperson 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 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.Bad weather and big waves were challenging rescuers, and sea currents had dragged the ferry several nautical miles from its initial location, Cayabyab said.The ferry MV June Aster had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan province when the fire started on Wednesday. (Philippine Coast Guard/Reuters)She said 134 people were on board, 117 of them passengers and 17 crew. "Based on the data that we have right now, the rescued and casualty, we are still searching for 87 people," she told DZXL radio. Cayabyab said it was still unclear what caused the fire, and the coast guard is coordinating with the shipping company and maritime authorities to get more details.Ferries are a common transportation method in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces. In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.