A FIRE BROKE OUT on a passenger ferry in the waters off the western Philippines, the Coast Guard of the country said on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Because of the fire, at least five people have been reported dead and more than 80 other passengers are missing. Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the rescue operations are underway. Forty-two people have been rescued so far, while efforts are underway to find the missing passengers.

The fire broke out on the ferry, MV June Aster, after it had sailed from Manila and was near the coast of Coron in Palawan Province of the Philippines on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. As per a report by The Hindu, Ms. Cayabyab said that a total of 134 people were on the ferry, among whom 117 were passengers and 17 were crew members.

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Some footage was released from the scene, where Coast Guard personnel are shown throwing life jackets to save the passengers and recovering bodies, while the ferry was seen burning in the background.

The Coast Guard spokesperson said that rescue operations are underway and that the number of missing people, which is currently 87, can change as the operation continues. Passengers were moved to small boats and taken to shallow waters during the rescue operations.

The ferry remained afloat in the water. By Thursday morning, the fire was under control, but the ferry remained in the water and thick smoke was still rising from the vessel. The reason why the fire broke out is still unknown and is being investigated.

More details are awaited.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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