Firefighters boarded a charred ferry in Philippine waters Friday, two days after a blaze erupted, as a search continued for 84 people who remained missing.
The fire on the MV June Aster, which had departed from Manila, initially prevented rescue efforts from going fully aboard the vessel due to intense heat and smoke. Five people had been confirmed dead prior to the boarding.
Images released by the coast guard showed personnel walking on the outer portions of the ferry. Officials stated they had not received updates from the firefighting team regarding any discoveries inside the ship, including additional fatalities.
The ferry was approximately 7.4 kilometers (4.5 miles) off the coast of Palawan province when the fire was reported Wednesday evening. Rescuers managed to save 43 people, some of whom were plucked from the water as the ferry burned.
"The fire quickly spread. That’s when I dropped to the ground and my back was burned," survivor Arnulfo Nokki Villanueva said in a video broadcast by News5. He described jumping from a window amid the panic and failing to secure a life jacket.
According to the manifest, 134 individuals were on board, consisting of 117 passengers and 17 crew members. The vessel had a capacity of 306 passengers and 27 crew. Two individuals listed on the manifest later reported they had not boarded the ferry, reducing the passenger count to 132 and bringing the number of missing to 84.
Among the survivors were two tourists from Chile, who are recovering in a hospital. No other foreign nationals are known to have been aboard.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The shipping company stated it is cooperating with authorities to locate missing passengers and investigate the incident.
Ferries are a common mode of transportation in the Philippines, an archipelago nation where sea accidents can occur due to factors including storms, vessel maintenance issues, overcrowding, and inconsistent safety regulation enforcement.