MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A fire burned overnight on a passenger ferry off the western Philippines, leaving dozens of people missing Thursday and killing at least five.
So far, 43 people have been rescued and efforts were ongoing, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
The ferry MV June Aster was still afloat by late morning after the fire was put out, but thick smoke still billowed from the vessel, Cayabyab said.
Images of the nighttime rescue efforts showed coast guard personnel tossed life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background. Passengers were helped into smaller boats taking them to shallow water, and body bags were laid out at what looked like a port.
The ferry had sailed from Manila and was near Coron in Palawan province when the fire started around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Bad weather and big waves were challenging rescuers. The ferry was around 4 nautical miles (7.4 kilometers) off Coron’s village of Turda when it sent a distress signal but strong sea currents had dragged it to a distance of 7.68 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers) off Turda.
Cayabyab said it was unclear what caused the fire, and the coast guard was coordinating with the shipping company and maritime authorities to get more details.
She said 134 people were on board, 117 of them passengers and 17 crew.
There was no information about any foreigners onboard, coast guard information officer Joy Gumatay told reporters.
Ferries are a common transportation method in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
