Rescue teams were able to board the MV June Aster on Friday (11) after a fire destroyed the ferry near Coron, in the western Philippine province of Palawan. The latest tally released by the Philippine Coast Guard listed at least five people dead, 84 missing and 43 rescued.
The vessel was carrying 134 people — 117 passengers and 17 crew members — on a journey of more than 20 hours from Manila to Coron. The fire began on Wednesday night, when the ferry was already close to its destination. According to the Associated Press, the ship was about 7.4 kilometers from Coron.
Heat and smoke delayed access to the vessel
Intense heat and thick smoke initially prevented firefighters from entering the ferry. The Coast Guard said the blaze was declared extinguished at 10:15 a.m. local time on Friday, allowing teams to conduct a safety assessment and begin searching inside the ship.
Burned remains were found in the economy accommodation area. Authorities had not yet said how many additional victims might be represented by the discovery and said police forensic experts would handle recovery and identification. The official death toll therefore remained at five at the time of this update.
The number of missing people was revised from 86 to 84 after authorities confirmed that two individuals who had initially appeared on the passenger list had not boarded. The count may change as officials reconcile information from survivors, relatives and the ferry operator.
Cause of the fire remains under investigation
The origin of the blaze has not been determined. The Philippines’ Maritime Industry Authority said survivors reported hearing two successive explosions before the fire spread. The report is part of the investigation and does not, at this stage, establish what caused the accident.
According to Reuters, the ferry was carrying five motorcycles, an electric vehicle, a forklift, a pickup truck and other cargo. Operator Atienza Inter-Island Ferries said it was cooperating with the authorities.
Disaster renews scrutiny of maritime safety
Millions of people depend on ferries and smaller boats to travel across the Philippines’ more than 7,600 islands. The latest accident comes months after more than 60 people died in January when a passenger vessel bound for the province of Sulu sank.
The immediate priority in Palawan is to locate those who remain missing, recover and identify victims, and provide information to their families. Investigators are also expected to examine the condition of the ferry, its cargo and safety procedures to determine how the fire started and why it spread so rapidly.
Sources: Reuters and the Associated Press. Information updated on September 11, 2026.
Featured image is illustrative: the vessel shown is not the MV June Aster.
