Philippine ferry fire kills 5, dozens missing

This screen grab aerial picture from a handout video taken and received from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on September 10, 2026 shows the ruins of a ferry that caught fire off Palawan. [AFP]

Philippine rescuers raced on Thursday to extinguish a fire that erupted aboard a ferry near a tourist hotspot, killing at least five people and leaving 86 others missing, according to the coast guard.

The blaze broke out on the M/V June Aster Wednesday evening about 2.2 kilometres (1.3 miles) off the shores of Palawan province, the coast guard said, adding that five bodies as well as 43 survivors had been brought ashore.

The coast guard has yet to establish the cause of the fire, but said one survivor reported hearing a "loud explosion" from the cargo hold.

"After that there was smoke and fire. As per the testimony of the survivor, it escalated quickly. After seconds, the fire started spreading," coast guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab told reporters Thursday.

With the fire not yet extinguished, rescuers have been unable to search the vessel, Cayabyab said, adding that some people may still be trapped inside.

Waiting for nearly 24 hours for updates about the missing, hundreds of people desperate for news about the incident have left comments on the Facebook page of a local mayor, searching for relatives, friends and even a dog.

The ferry's manifest listed 134 passengers and crew. It was also carrying goods, an electric vehicle, a pickup truck and motorcycles.

Of the 43 rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew, said Cayabyab. The identity of another survivor was not immediately clear.

"Most of the people we rescued were those who had been swimming away from the vessel," said the spokeswoman.

She said many were in a state of shock, and comprehensive interviews that could shed light on the incident will only take place later on.

As the search continued for the 86 people presumed missing, coast guard, military personnel and local responders were working to tamp down the thick smoke billowing from the ferry.

Fishermen and private resort owners from the area had also joined the search, while the Philippine Army deployed rescue boats and has a military aircraft on standby.

The company that owns the ferry, Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, said they were fully cooperating with the investigation.

"We are working around the clock and have mobilised all available resources to manage this crisis," the company said in a statement.

"Our hearts remain with the affected families, and we will not rest until all individuals are accounted for."

The ferry, which left from the capital Manila and was headed for the town of Coron, is currently aground on an island in Palawan province.

In January, a triple-decker ferry carrying more than 340 people sank off the southern Philippines, killing at least 52 people.

The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 sank along nearly the same route where 31 people died in 2023 after a fire broke out aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry.