Five killed, 87 missing after ferry fire in Philippines
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- At least five people were killed and 87 remained missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off Palawan province.
- Forty-two people, including 38 passengers and four crew members, have been rescued as search operations continue.
At least five people were killed and 87 remained missing after a fire broke out aboard a passenger ferry off the western Philippines near the tourist destination of Coron in Palawan province, the Philippine Coast Guard said Thursday.
The fire erupted late Wednesday aboard the MV John Austen, about 2.2 kilometers off the coast. Coast guard personnel recovered five bodies and brought them ashore as rescue operations continued.
Video released by the coast guard showed the ferry engulfed in flames.
Coast Guard commander Noemi Cayabyab said 42 people had been rescued, including 38 passengers and four crew members.
"Another 87 people are still missing," she said in comments to a local radio station on Thursday morning.
The passenger manifest listed 134 people aboard the vessel, including passengers and crew, according to the coast guard.
Maritime tracking data indicated that the ferry had departed from Manila before the fire broke out.
Authorities have continued search-and-rescue operations as they work to locate those still missing.
