According to the Philippines’ coast guard, a fire on a ferry near a tourist spot in the province of Palawan has resulted in at least five fatalities and 87 missing persons.
The smoky, burnt state of the ship, which seemed to have drifted closer to shore overnight after attempts to board it were stopped owing to smoke and heat, hindered rescuers on Friday.
Five people were carried ashore, according to the coast guard, following the eruption on Wednesday night on board the M/V June Aster, which was located roughly 2.2 kilometers (1.3 miles) offshore.
When the fire was detected, the ship was around 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) from the settlement of Turda, close to its destination of Coron.
A large portion of the ship was engulfed in flames in a video that the coast guard posted to Facebook.
When the fire broke out, the ferry was close to Coron in the province of Palawan, having sailed from Manila.
The cause of the fire has not yet been identified and was not included in the reports.
According to the AFP news agency, Coastguard Captain Noemi Cayabyab informed a local radio station on Thursday that 42 people had been saved thus far.
Rescuers planned to board the boat once it was safe to do so, according to Cayabyab, who stated that conditions were still being evaluated on Friday.
“We still have 87 people who are unaccounted for based on the data we have right now on the rescued and the casualties,” she stated, noting that the ship’s manifest had listed 134 passengers and crew. Cayabyab stated, “Just to be clear, this is live data and may change, as our search and rescue operations are ongoing.”
“However, we have not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued individuals because we have not been able to speak with them,” she noted, adding that efforts to put out the fire were still ongoing. Of those saved, 38 were passengers and four were staff.
As of Wednesday night, 43 people have been rescued, according to the Reuters news agency.
Although no additional survivors or dead have been discovered, the coast guard, other government agencies, private volunteers, and fishermen have been searching the surrounding waterways, and coastal patrols have looked for any survivors who could have washed ashore.
In a statement, the firm said it was helping individuals on board and their families, working with the Coast Guard and maritime authorities to find missing passengers, and completely participating with the inquiry into the cause of the incident.
In the Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,000 islands that are frequently pummeled by typhoons and monsoon rains that can make travel dangerous, sea mishaps are thought to be frequent.
Previous accidents have also been attributed to poor vessel maintenance, overcrowding, and even inconsistent implementation of safety laws.
At least eighteen persons were killed when a ferry carrying over 350 people collapsed off the shore of Baluk-baluk island in January.
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