Overview
- A fire broke out aboard the M/V June Aster on Wednesday evening about 2.2 km off Coron, Palawan, and the Philippine Coast Guard released video showing the ferry ablaze.
- The vessel's manifest listed 134 people aboard — 117 passengers and 17 crew — and officials say five people have been confirmed dead while roughly 86–87 remain unaccounted for as counts are updated.
- Rescuers pulled 42–43 people from the water, including two reported Chilean nationals, and survivors were taken to a local evacuation centre for interviews and care.
- Teams are using multiple ships, small boats, air assets and drift-modelling tools, but thick smoke, extreme heat, explosion risk and strong currents have prevented safe boarding of the wreck and slowed recovery.
- The incident has prompted an investigation coordinated by the coast guard and maritime authorities and has renewed scrutiny of ferry safety in the Philippines, where past sinkings and fires have been linked to maintenance gaps, overcrowding and uneven enforcement.