Fire on ferry off Philippines leaves dozens missing, kills at least 5

September 10, 2026 / 5:24 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Manila, Philippines — A fire that burned overnight on a passenger ferry off the western Philippines left dozens of people missing Thursday and killed at least five.

So far, 43 people have been rescued, Coast Guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said. An intense and widespread search was on for the unaccounted for.

The ferry MV June Aster was afloat but listing after the fire was put out. The blaze started Wednesday evening. Tendrils of smoke still wafted over the charred vessel by midday Thursday.

"We are continuing search-and-rescue operations," she said, with a Coast Guard ship and high-speed response boats joined by a military vessel and other government boats, private volunteers and fishermen.

The Coast Guard made a radio broadcast to nearby ships to be on the lookout for passengers from the ferry, and it coordinated with coastal villages in case any passengers drifted to shore.

Images of nighttime rescue efforts showed Coast Guard personnel tossing life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background. Passengers were helped into smaller boats that took them to shallow water, and body bags were laid out at what looked like a port.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/