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Philippine rescuers boarded the burned-out MV June Aster more than 40 hours after fire engulfed the vessel, pushing through lingering smoke and extreme heat to search for dozens still unaccounted for following the Wednesday night incident off Palawan province. The Philippine Coast Guard said teams entered the hull around 11:30 a.m. local time on Friday after earlier efforts were thwarted by toxic fumes and high temperatures that posed severe risks to personnel. Aerial images released by authorities showed the vessel’s upper decks blackened, with only thin plumes of smoke visible by afternoon as the expanded search included divers and a larger coast guard ship. The operation has drawn on a whole-of-government approach, incorporating military assets, local fishermen and private vessels since the fire erupted.
The Philippine Coast Guard revised the number of missing to 84 after determining that two individuals listed on the manifest never boarded the ferry, which had been carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members from Manila’s Baseco port toward the tourist destination of Coron. Five bodies have been recovered so far while 43 survivors, including two Chilean nationals, have been rescued and many are receiving hospital treatment for injuries and shock. A Reuters dispatch noted that the 53-metre vessel, with a capacity for 306 passengers and 27 crew, had been about 7.4 kilometres northeast of Barangay Turda when the blaze broke out, drifting farther overnight due to currents and winds.
Thick smoke continued to billow from the ferry for more than a day after the fire started on September 9, preventing immediate boarding despite deployment of multiple coast guard vessels, a helicopter and army rescue boats. Coast Guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab told local media that high temperatures and the risk of further explosions remained a severe challenge, with smoke from incomplete burning containing lethal carbon monoxide levels. Cayabyab added that the search area had been widened using drift-modelling tools, while a larger vessel was dispatched to bolster efforts that began within hours of the initial distress call.
Survivors described a rapid escalation once the fire began, with one telling GMA News that a small amount of smoke quickly turned into a raging inferno spreading through the ferry within seconds. Richard Marceliano, who spent nearly two hours floating in the sea before rescue, recounted jumping overboard amid the chaos. Another survivor, Arnulfo Nokki Villanueva, said in a News5 interview that he dropped to the ground as the fire spread and suffered burns to his back before leaping from a window, underscoring the speed with which the blaze overtook the vessel.
A statement from the Maritime Industry Authority cited survivor accounts reporting two successive explosions from within the ship, likely from the cargo hold, that triggered the fire whose exact cause remains under investigation. The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that the owner of the MV June Aster expressed devastation over the losses and pledged to work around the clock in coordination with authorities. Reuters reports indicated that the incident has renewed scrutiny of maritime safety in a nation where ferry travel connects more than 7,600 islands and millions depend on such vessels for inter-provincial movement.
Sea accidents remain common in the Philippine archipelago owing to frequent storms, poorly maintained boats, overcrowding and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations, particularly in remote areas, according to an Associated Press assessment of regional maritime patterns. The disaster off Coron, a popular spot for diving and island-hopping, comes as authorities continue to compile a full manifest and interview rescued passengers who were sleeping in bunk beds when the emergency unfolded during the more than 20-hour scheduled voyage. Coast Guard teams have not yet released findings from inside the ferry, where additional casualties could still be located as the search proceeds.
