Philippines Ferry Fire Leaves Five Dead as More Than 80 People Remain Missing

Image Credit: Philippine Coast Guard

At least five people have died and more than 80 remain unaccounted for after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of the Philippines, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation near the popular tourist destination of Coron.

The MV June Aster was travelling from Manila to Coron in Palawan province when the fire broke out at around 6:45pm on Wednesday, September 9. The vessel was carrying 134 people — 117 passengers and 17 crew members — when it sent a distress signal as it approached its destination.

Philippine Coast Guard officials said 43 people had been rescued by Thursday, while five deaths had been confirmed. That leaves more than 80 people unaccounted for, although officials have warned that the figures could change as rescuers continue checking the passenger manifest and locating survivors. Two Chilean nationals were among those rescued, according to the Coast Guard.

The rescue effort has been complicated by rough seas, strong currents and the condition of the ferry. The vessel remained afloat but was badly damaged and continued to emit smoke. Rescuers have been unable to fully enter the ship because of extreme heat and concerns about possible explosions. Coast Guard vessels, military assets, private boats and local fishermen have joined the search, while authorities are using drift-modelling technology to estimate where people may have been carried by the currents.

The exact cause of the fire has not been established. Authorities are investigating whether the blaze began in the vessel’s cargo hold, a possibility raised by one survivor, while the Coast Guard and maritime authorities are working with the ferry operator to establish what happened.

The disaster comes less than a year after another major ferry tragedy in the Philippines. In January 2026, the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sank off Basilan, killing at least 65 people and leaving others missing. Investigators subsequently identified safety violations including passengers not recorded on the manifest and failures involving cargo and safety procedures, prompting authorities to ground the operator’s passenger fleet and order wider maritime safety audits.

The Philippines relies heavily on ferries because its population is spread across more than 7,600 islands. But the country’s maritime industry has faced repeated concerns over overcrowding, vessel maintenance, weather conditions and enforcement of safety regulations. One of the country’s worst maritime disasters occurred in 1987, when the ferry Doña Paz collided with the tanker Vector, killing more than 4,000 people.