Five people have died in a fire on a ferry in the Philippines, the National Coast Guard said.
The incident occurred late on the evening of September 9 on board the passenger ship M/V June Aster, sailing from the capital Manila to the island of Busuanga. The fire broke out about 2.2 kilometers from the coast, near the popular tourist and diving center of Coron, Palawan province.
A total of 134 people were on board the ship - 117 passengers and 17 crew members. Thanks to the rapid intervention of rescue boats located near land, 42 people were successfully evacuated. However, 87 people are still officially listed as missing. The coast guard warned that the number of victims and those rescued was constantly updated in real time.
The rescue operation is being seriously complicated by extremely poor weather conditions, strong winds and large waves in the area. Strong currents have already carried the burning ferry more than 14 kilometers from the place where the initial distress signal was sent. The investigation into the causes of the incident is ongoing.