Philippine ferry fire kills 5, leaves 87 missing off Palawan
09:47, 10/09/2026, ThursdayU: Update: 09:54, 10/09/2026, Thursday
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The Philippine Coast Guard said on Thursday that at least five people are dead and 87 remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off Palawan, adding that search and rescue teams are racing to locate survivors from the vessel carrying more than 130 people.
Philippine Coast Guard officials on Thursday confirmed that at least five people have died and 87 remain missing after the MV June Aste caught fire in waters off the western province of Palawan — a popular tourist destination in the Philippine archipelago.
Rescue efforts underway
The vessel was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members when the incident occurred on Wednesday, according to local media outlet Palawan News. Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, a spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, said that 42 people have been rescued so far, adding that search teams are continuing operations in the area.
Location of incident
The PCG dispatched response teams after receiving reports of a fire aboard the ferry in waters approximately 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron, Palawan. Authorities are working to determine the cause of the blaze while coordinating ongoing search efforts for the missing.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire while search teams work to locate the 87 people still missing from the vessel. The PCG has maintained a coordinated presence in the waters off Coron since the incident was first reported on Wednesday.
