Overview
- The passenger ferry M/V June Aster caught fire about 2.2 kilometers off northern Palawan after departing Manila and coast guard video shows the vessel engulfed in flames.
- The Philippine Coast Guard says 42 people have been rescued, including 38 passengers and four crew, and five casualties have been brought ashore.
- Officials report 87 people remain unaccounted for based on a ship manifest listing 134 passengers and crew.
- Rescue and firefighting teams remain on scene conducting search-and-rescue while authorities stress the figures are live and may change as rescued people have not yet been interviewed.
- MarineTraffic tracking has been used to corroborate the ferry's departure from Manila and authorities say further updates from the coast guard and survivor accounts will be key to reconciling the manifest and casualty numbers.