Philippines Ferry Fire Kills at Least 35, Dozens Still Missing Off Palawan

A fire broke out aboard the passenger ferry MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan, in the western Philippines on Wednesday night, September 9, 2026, according to the Philippine coast guard. The vessel was reportedly sailing from Manila and carrying around 134 people at the time of the blaze. In the immediate aftermath, authorities said at least five people had died and roughly 42 to 43 people had been rescued, with dozens more reported missing. In the days following the fire, the coast guard reported that the confirmed death toll had risen to 35 as recovery teams retrieved more bodies from the burnt-out vessel. Reports on the number still missing varied, with figures cited around 54 to more than 80 at different points as the search continued. The BBC reported that access to the wreckage was hampered by toxic fumes and lingering heat, slowing recovery efforts. Footage from the scene showed flames engulfing parts of the ferry and responders placing victims in body bags. As of the latest reporting, search and recovery operations remained ongoing, with authorities continuing efforts to account for those still missing. The exact final death toll and total number of missing passengers had not been conclusively established across all sources, reflecting the fluid and unresolved nature of the situation. The cause of the fire had not been determined in the available reporting.