Full Breakdown
Ferry Fire Off Palawan Leaves Five Dead and Hundreds Missing
9/10/2026, 9:09:37 AM
Incident Overview
On September 9, a fire erupted aboard the MV June Aster about 2.2 km (1.3 mi) offshore from Coron, Palawan, in the western Philippines. The vessel was en route from Manila’s Baseco port to Coron when flames engulfed parts of the ship, prompting a rescue operation that continued into the following day.
Vessel and Passenger Manifest
The MV June Aster is a passenger ferry that departed Manila on the evening of September 9. The Philippine Coast Guard’s manifest listed a total of 134 individuals aboard, including both passengers and crew. No further breakdown of the manifest has been released.
Casualties and Rescue Figures
The coast guard reported five fatalities that were brought ashore. Rescue efforts recovered either 42 or 43 survivors, depending on the source, and identified 87 people as unaccounted for. Among those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew members. The discrepancy in the rescued count reflects differing figures released by separate coast-guard statements.
Official Responses
Coast Guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told local radio that the data on rescued persons and missing individuals were “live” and subject to change as the search-and-rescue operation progressed. She emphasized that the cause of the fire remained under investigation and that authorities were continuing to seek information from rescued passengers.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Two reports differ on the number of people rescued: one source cited 43 rescued, while another cited 42 rescued. Additionally, the exact composition of the 134-person manifest has not been independently verified, and the investigation into the fire’s cause has not yielded public findings as of September 10.
