Image source, Getty Images

The ferry had been headed to Coron, in the province of Palawan.

Coron, which attracts both local and foreign tourists, is famed for its limestone cliffs, sandy beaches and turquoise waters. It's also popular among divers for the World War II shipwreck sites.

As we reported earlier, ferry accidents are not uncommon in the Philippines, where many travel by sea across the country's many islands.

But deadly accidents like what we've seen today are rare in Coron - until the recent fire.

In 2024, all 14 crew members of a cargo ship were rescued after the vessel sank off Coron.

That same year, more than 300 people were affected after a cargo-passenger ship ran aground while preparing to depart Coron Port, but in the end all passengers managed to disembark safely.

Kelly Ng
Live reporter

I've been speaking with Rai Garcia, who has three family members who are among the missing.

Mae Lorraine Galera-Navoa, who is the sister of Garcia's brother-in-law, had travelled to Luzon to attend her father's funeral, accompanied by her husband Elyzer Navoa and their three-year-old daughter Hiraya Joy.

"They were traveling back from Manila when we heard the news," Garcia said. Loved ones had made a poster to appeal for information of the family of three, using a photo Mae had taken on the ferry and shared with immediate relatives.

They had been travelling home to El Nido in Palawan on board the vessel when it caught fire.

"We haven't received any news yet. That's why we had to comment on local news threads just to receive updates," Garcia says.

"We still hope and pray for their safety."

The Philippine Coast Guard has released images of people being rescued after a ferry caught fire in waters near Coron, Philippines.

The photos, taken during the night, show groups of people and coast guards assisting passengers off small vessels.

Image source, Philippine Coast Guard

Image source, Philippine Coast Guard

Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila

I spoke to one municipal disaster staff, who doesnt want to be named, who said it was the first time that an incident like this had happened on Coron.

"I was one of the people who carried and transported the casualties to the hospital last night. It’s really heartbreaking. They are one hour away from the main port.”

Another person on board the vessel has been rescued, which brings the total number of survivors to 43, the coastguard said in an update about an hour ago.

The number missing now stands at 86.

Joel Guinto
Live reporter

Maritime accidents are common in the Philippines, an archipelago of 7,100 islands.

Inter-island ferries are a cheap way to move people and cargo between islands, some of which are inaccessible by air.

But there is always the risk of severe weather, monsoon rains and typhoons which can cause turbulent conditions. The country is affected by an average of 20 typhoons every year.

Past accidents have also been blamed on poor maintenance and uneven enforcement of safety laws.

In 2023, 31 people died after a fire broke out at a passenger ferry in the country’s south-western tip. The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 was on its way to Basilan island from Zamboanga city, a major port in the main southern island of Mindanao.

But with 87 missing, this ferry disaster could prove to be among the more severe to have happened in the Philippines.

Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila

The coastguard says it is employing a "whole-of-government" approach to search and rescue operations following the ferry fire, including the help of volunteer fisherfolk communities.

"We are working tirelessly on these operations today because we believe that, in situations like this, time is truly of the essence," a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson extended condolences on behalf of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) "to the families of the missing, and we fully understand the anxiety felt by the families of those who are still unaccounted for".

The PCG made an appeal to families "who still have missing relatives to report the matter so that we can ensure an accurate accounting of everyone involved".

Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila

The coastguard says it's been trying to extinguish the fire on the ferry while also patrolling its immediate vicinity, but the weather has been challenging.

"The weather [last night] was poor, and the waves in the area were strong," a spokesman said.

"Reports from our vessel indicate strong currents in the area," he said, noting that the vessel had drifted from its initial distress location – four nautical miles off Barangay Turda – to a point 7.68 nautical miles away.

"It has been carried further out by the current. These are the challenges our personnel are facing in the search area."

Coron, where the ferry was headed to, is part of the province of Palawan – a popular tourist destination in the Philippines.

Coron Island, off the mainland, is known for its beautiful scenery of towering cliffs and crystal clear waters, which attract scuba divers from all over. The area is best known among divers for its Japanese shipwrecks from World War Two.

Image source, Getty Images

Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila

Thirty-eight of the 42 people rescued last night were passengers on the ferry, while the other four are crew members, the coastguard said, adding that they have not yet spoken to the survivors.

"So we will wait, but while we wait, our operations are ongoing. We are also co-ordinating with the shipping company," a coastguard spokesman said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he said.

Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila

Eighty-seven people are still missing, according to the coastguard.

"Based on the manifesto provided to us, if we look at the numbers, with 117 passengers and 17 crew, the total is 134. So, based on the current data regarding the rescued and casualties, there are still 87 individuals we are searching for.

"But again, I want to clarify that this is live data; the figures may change as search and rescue operations continue," a coastguard spokesperson told me.

Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila

Currently, the boat is in the waters off Marcilla village in Coron, Palawan province.

Because the incident occurred relatively close to the mainland, response teams were able to quickly take the 42 rescued survivors back to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda, which sits just north of Marcilla.

Based on the information we have now, the ferry had set off from the Port of Manila and was travelling south towards Coron in the province of Palawan.

According to the coastguard, the vessel caught fire about 1.2 nautical miles (2.2km) north-east of Barangay Marcilla, marked by the point in the map below.

There are still dozens of people missing after the ferry fire but those numbers could change, a coastguard captain told a local radio station, AFP reports.

"Based on the data we have right now on rescued and the casualties, we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for," Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station on Thursday.

"Just to make it clear, this is live data and may change as our search and rescue operations are ongoing," she continued, adding that the ship had 134 passengers and crew listed, as cited by AFP.

Of the people rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew, Cayabyab said, according to AFP.

"However, we have not yet been able to obtain information from the rescued individuals because we have not been able to speak with them," she said.

A video shared online by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) appears to show the vessel completely engulfed in flames.

Other videos appear to show people being pulled out of the water into rescue boats.

According to PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab 42 people had been rescued by late Wednesday evening.

Image source, Philippine Coast Guard

Image source, Philippine Coast Guard

Search and rescue operations are ongoing, the Philippine Coast Guard said in its latest update seven hours ago.

The vessel, known as the MV June Aster, was carrying 134 people, including 117 passengers and 17 crew members, according to Filipino media.

It had departed from the port of Manila and was bound for Coron, Palawan, when it caught fire - it was about 1.2 nautical miles north-east of Barangay Marcilla when the fire broke out.

At least five people have died and 87 are missing after a ferry caught fire in waters off Palawan in the Philippines on Wednesday, the country’s coastguard said on local radio, as reported by AFP.

A total of 42 people have been rescued, according to a Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson.

We will bring you more updates as the story develops.