Philippines ferry fire leaves 5 dead, 84 missing as rescuers await boarding

At least five people were killed and 84 remained missing after a fire broke out on a ferry in the Philippines, with rescue teams struggling to board the smoke-filled, charred vessel on Friday. The MV June Aster was found drifting in Philippine waters after the blaze, while efforts to search inside the badly damaged ferry were slowed by heat and smoke.

The ferry had sailed from Manila and was about 4 nautical miles, or 7.4 kilometres, off a village near its destination of Coron in Palawan province when the fire was reported on Wednesday evening. The coast guard and other vessels rescued 43 people, including some who were pulled from the sea in the dark as the ferry burned.

Smoke was still drifting from the listing vessel on Friday after it appeared to have moved closer to shore overnight. Rescue efforts were halted overnight after teams struggled to enter the ferry on Thursday because of the smoke and heat. Coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said conditions were being assessed and that boarding the vessel was the intention on Friday.

Survivor Arnulfo Nokki Villanueva said in a video broadcast by News5: "The fire quickly spread. That's when I dropped to the ground and my back was burned. I wanted to get a life jacket but failed to get one because people were stepping on me. People were in panic." He said he was eventually able to jump out of a window.

The coast guard, other government agencies, private volunteers and fishermen searched nearby waters, while coastal patrols checked whether some people had drifted ashore. No new survivors or fatalities were found. According to the manifest, 134 people were on board, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members. The 53-metre vessel has the capacity to carry 306 passengers and 27 crew. The coast guard said two passengers listed on the manifest later told authorities they had not boarded, bringing the number of missing to 84.

Rachel Conserman, a staffer of the ship's owner Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc, said two of the survivors were tourists from Chile and were recovering from injuries in a hospital in Coron. She said there were no other foreigners known to have been on the ship. The company said it was coordinating with the coast guard and maritime officials to find the missing passengers and was fully cooperating with authorities to determine the cause of the fire. It also said it was assisting all those on board and their families. The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the search continued as authorities tried to reach the ferry and account for those still missing.