Catastrophe at Sea: Five Dead, Dozens Rescued as Ferry Engulfed in Flames Off Palawan

Catastrophe at Sea: Five Dead, Dozens Rescued as Ferry Engulfed in Flames Off Palawan

By TheNATIONWEEK.com News Desk | September 10, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – A devastating fire aboard the M/V June Aster off the coast of Coron, Palawan, has claimed at least five lives and left 42 individuals rescued, authorities confirmed. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is leading a comprehensive search and rescue operation following the maritime tragedy.

The M/V June Aster was consumed by a raging inferno approximately 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla on Wednesday, September 9. Eyewitness accounts, corroborated by grim footage shared by the Coast Guard, depict the vessel entirely engulfed in flames, illustrating the rapid escalation of the disaster.

PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab reported late Wednesday that 42 individuals had been successfully brought to safety. Tragically, five fatalities have been reported, with their remains transported to the Barangay Turda Covered Court in Coron for official disposition by the Coron Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

According to the vessel’s manifest, 117 passengers and 17 crew members were aboard the M/V June Aster. This disparity between the manifest and the number of rescued and deceased underscores the critical ongoing search for potential missing individuals.

A multi-agency response was swiftly initiated following the distress call. The PCG, coordinating with its Sub-Stations in Turda and Tara, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Coron, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the local government of Coron, and various shipping lines, mobilized extensive resources. Personnel from the PCG’s Maritime Environmental Protection Unit in Northeastern Palawan and the Coast Guard Special Operations Group were immediately deployed to the incident area. Further bolstering rescue efforts, the BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) departed from the Port of San Fernando in El Nido to provide additional assistance.

As systematic search and rescue operations continue in the waters surrounding Coron, investigators are meticulously working to determine the cause of the catastrophic blaze. The full scope of the tragedy and the precise sequence of events leading to the inferno remain under intense investigation.

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