A ferry bound for the Philippines' Palawan province experienced a fire on Wednesday night, leading to the deaths of five people and leaving 86 others missing. The MV June Aster was carrying over 100 passengers when the incident occurred.
The Philippine Coast Guard reported that the fire was first reported at 18:45 local time on Wednesday by a staff member of Atienza Shipping Lines, the vessel's owner. The ferry had departed Manila's Port of Baseco on Tuesday night and caught fire just 1.2 nautical miles (2.2km) off the coast of Coron's Marcilla village.
One survivor, Roland Lerma, described the chaos onboard, recalling that he slipped and was trampled by others before leaping into the sea. He floated for approximately two hours until rescuers arrived. Lerma is now in a hospital in Coron with bruises and chest pain.
Search and rescue operations are continuing, though authorities state that the fire on the MV June Aster has not yet been put out and smoke is still visible from the ferry. Two Chilean nationals are among the 43 people rescued so far.