Coastguard issues update after Philippines ferry bursts into flames, killing five and leaving 86 missing

Five people are dead and 86 are still missing after a ferry caught fire in the Philippines.

The country's coastguard says emergency services have rescued 43 people after disaster struck on the boat 2.2km off the coast of Marcilla village.

The MV June Aster was taking 117 passengers and 17 members of crew from the port of Manila to the popular tourist destination of Coron, Palawan, when a fire broke out at about 6:45pm local time on Wednesday, September 9.

It was first reported by a staff member of Atienza Shipping Lines, the owner of the boat.

Video of the accident shared by the coastguard appears to show the ship engulfed completely in flames.

As the incident occurred relatively close to the mainland, 1.2 nautical miles, response teams were able to quickly launch a rescue operation and pull people out of the water and into rescue boats.

How the Philippines ferry burst into flame

After speaking with survivors, the coastguard got a sense of where the fire started.

"Based on our enquiry with one of the survivors, the fire started in the cargo hold," Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, a Coast Guard spokesperson, told local TV, as reported by the BBC.

"After a couple of minutes, fire started to spread.

"We have tried to get stories from the survivors but there are still in shock. Some passengers were not wearing life vests."

The coastguard added that the weight of the 'whole-of-government' was being put behind rescue efforts, with local fishing communities helping as well.

"We are working tirelessly on these operations today because we believe that, in situations like this, time is truly of the essence," a spokesperson said.

However, it has been warned that poor weather conditions, including strong waves, are making the search even tougher.

The coastguard added: "To the families of the missing, and we fully understand the anxiety felt by the families of those who are still unaccounted for."

A fire responder told the BBC it was the first time such an incident had happened on Coron and called it 'heartbreaking.'

"I was one of the people who carried and transported the casualties to the hospital last night. It’s really heartbreaking," they said. "They are one hour away from the main port.”

Ronald Lerma, a survivor of the accident, said after dinner passengers heard a "sudden bang, then there was a dark, thick smoke," he told the BBC.

"After a minute, a fire broke out. I couldn’t see anything. It was also hot. People started shouting and crying. They panicked."

Lerma initially slipped while trying to get off the boat and was trampled by other fleeing passengers, before finally jumping into the water.

He waited in the water for two hours, using his belongings to float, before being rescued.

"If it was delayed, I would definitely have died last night," he added.

Three of his five colleagues are in hospital, two are still missing.

Maritime accidents are common in the Philippines but officials fear this may be one of the worst in the country's history.

31 people died in 2023 after a fire broke out on the ferry MV Lady Mary Joy 3 as it was on its way from the city of Zamboanga to Basilan island.