Five people have died and 86 remain missing after a fire consumed the ferry MV June Aster less than 1.2 nautical miles (2.2km) off Coron, Palawan, forcing at-sea rescue operations to continue while the vessel continued to emit smoke. Relatives and rescuers gathered onshore as survivors were treated in Coron hospitals and others were brought ashore for accountings.
The vessel left Manila's Port of Baseco at 20:13 local time (12:13 GMT) on Tuesday and was due to arrive in Coron at 18:00 on Wednesday. The Philippine Coast Guard said a staff member of owner Atienza Shipping Lines first reported the blaze at 18:45 local time on Wednesday night. Officials said a survivor reported the fire began in the cargo hold after a loud explosion.
Forty-three people have been rescued so far, including two Chilean nationals who had been sleeping near survivor Roland Lerma. Lerma, 30, speaking from a hospital in Coron, described how hot air and panic spread through the vessel. "When I was on the floor, people were trampling me," he said. He told rescuers he crawled free and jumped into the sea, abandoning his clothes and belongings, and drifted for about two hours before being pulled from the water.
Lerma and two neighbours are being treated in Coron; a fourth member of their group has been moved to a larger hospital on Culion island and two remain unaccounted for, he said. Authorities listed cargo that included several motorcycles, an electric car, a forklift, a pick-up van and other goods, items officials will examine as part of the inquiry into the blaze.
Atienza Shipping Lines issued a statement saying it was co-operating fully with authorities and expressing "profound sadness" about the incident. Families continued an anxious wait for news. Among them, Anelyn Magbanua said her husband Marlon is unaccounted for after travelling to Coron from Manila. "I can't describe what I am feeling right now. I have been crying and praying since last night," she said, adding that she and her two-year-old son were waiting outside the hospital.
Search and rescue efforts remain under way while authorities and company officials work to account for passengers and determine the cause of the fire. Visible smoke from the vessel continued to be reported as operations entered their next phase of recovery and investigation.
