Fire on passenger ferry in Philippines leaves dozens missing and at
least 5 dead
[September 10, 2026]
By TERESA CEROJANO
MANILA,
Philippines (AP) — A fire burned overnight on a passenger ferry off the
western Philippines, leaving dozens of people missing Thursday and
killing at least five.
So far, 43 people have been rescued, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore
Noemie Cayabyab said. The ferry MV June Aster was afloat but listing
after the fire, which started Wednesday evening, was put out. Tendrils
of smoke still wafted over the charred vessel by midday. |
In this image taken from video provided by the Philippine Coast Guard,
remains of ferry MV June Aster that caught fire off Palawan province,
western Philippines on Thursday Sept. 10, 2026. (Philippine Coast Guard
via AP) |
|
“We are continuing search and rescue operations,” she said, with
a coast guard ship and high-speed response boats joined by a
military vessel and other government boats, private volunteers
and fishermen.
The coast guard made a radio broadcast to ships nearby to be on
the lookout for passengers of the ferry. It has also coordinated
with coastal villages in case some passengers drifted to the
shore.
Images of the nighttime rescue efforts showed 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.
The ferry had sailed from the capital Manila and was near its
destination of Coron in Palawan province when the fire started
around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Bad weather and big waves challenged 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
kilometers) off Turda.
Cayabyab said it was unclear what caused the fire, which one
survivor said may have begun in the cargo hold, and the coast
guard was coordinating with the shipping company and maritime
authorities to get more details.
She said 134 people were on board, 117 of them passengers and 17
crew. There was no information about any foreigners onboard.
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.
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