At least five people died and 87 are missing after a fire on a ferry in the province of Palawan, in the western Philippines. The fire started on Wednesday evening on the vessel M/V June Aster, near the coast of the region known as the tourist area.
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that 42 people have been rescued so far. According to data from the naval monitoring service MarineTraffic, the ferry had departed from the capital Manila. The vessel's manifest lists 134 passengers and crew.
Coast Guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab reported the preliminary data to the local radio, warning that the numbers may change as search and rescue operations are still ongoing. Volunteer fishermen are assisting survivors on the coast of Palawan.
