On September 10, 2026, a passenger ferry faced a devastating fire off the western coast of the Philippines, resulting in dozens missing and at least five fatalities. The incident occurred on the MV June Aster ferry, leaving 43 individuals rescued so far according to Noemie Cayabyab, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

The ferry remained afloat but was listing after the fire was extinguished. Although the blaze started on Wednesday evening, smoke continued to rise from the charred vessel by midday Thursday. Intense efforts are being made to find those unaccounted for, involving a Coast Guard ship, high-speed response boats, a military vessel, government boats, private volunteers, and local fishermen.

The Coast Guard has broadcasted alerts to nearby ships to help locate passengers and coordinated with coastal villages to assist those who may have drifted ashore. Reports and images given by the Philippine Coast Guard portray nighttime rescue operations, showcasing personnel throwing life jackets to survivors while the ferry burned in the background. Smaller boats transported passengers to shallow waters, and body bags were prepared at ports.

The ferry departed from Manila and was nearing Coron in Palawan when the fire ignited around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Adverse weather and large waves posed challenges to the rescue teams. Originally, the ferry was approximately 4 nautical miles off Turda village in Coron when it issued a distress signal, but strong currents moved it to 7.68 nautical miles.

Rescue teams are employing drift-modeling tools to predict where people may have been swept by the currents. Although the cause of the fire remains unknown, one survivor indicated it might have originated in the cargo hold. The Coast Guard is working with the shipping company and maritime authorities to ascertain further details.

The MV June Aster ferry had 134 people aboard, composed of 117 passengers and 17 crew members. There has been no information released about foreigners on the ferry. Ferries remain a prevalent transportation means in the Philippines, an archipelago where sea mishaps occur due to varied reasons, including severe weather, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and lax safety regulation enforcement, especially in more isolated provinces.

Reminders of past maritime tragedies resonate, such as the 1987 incident involving the Dona Paz ferry which collided with a fuel tanker and claimed over 4,300 lives, marking the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster globally.