Five dead, dozens missing in Philippines ferry fire
Coastguard says the ferry had 134 listed passengers and crew when it sank off the coast of Palawan.
At least five people have been killed, and 87 remain missing after a fire broke out on board a ferry in the Philippines, near a popular tourist destination in the province of Palawan, according to the country’s coastguard.
It said that the fire erupted on Wednesday evening on board the M/V June Aster about 2.2km (1.3 miles) offshore, adding that five casualties had been brought ashore.
Coastguard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station on Thursday that 42 people had been rescued so far, according to the AFP news agency.
“Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change, as our search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Cayabyab said.