Five dead, 87 missing after Philippine ferry fire

Key facts

• Five people died after a ferry caught fire off Palawan island in the Philippines on Wednesday night.
• Eighty-seven people remain missing following the incident.
• Forty-three people were rescued from the MV June Aster.
• The ferry was traveling from Manila towards Coron, Palawan.
• The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Five people died and 87 others are missing after a ferry caught fire off Palawan island in the western Philippines on Wednesday night, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Thursday. Forty-three people were rescued on Wednesday night after the fire broke out aboard the MV June Aster in waters off Coron, Palawan. Footage released by the Coast Guard showed flames engulfing parts of the vessel and responders placing bodies in body bags. The ferry had departed from Manila and was traveling south towards Coron, a popular tourist destination known for its Japanese shipwrecks from World War Two. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. According to the coast guard's manifest, there were 134 passengers and crew on board. Of those rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew members.