FIRE. MV June Aster burns as flames and smoke rise after a fire broke out on the ferry, off the coast of Palawan, Philippines, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on September 9, 2026.
Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS
Authorities estimate that more than 80 people remain unaccounted for, although the figures could still change
A search and rescue operation is ongoing off Palawan after a passenger ferry caught fire, resulting in five fatalities and many missing.
The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed multiple vessels and is using drift-modelling tools to locate survivors, with 43 people rescued so far.
