Manila: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is searching for 86 individuals still missing after a fire broke out on a passenger Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) cargo vessel MV June Aster off the waters of Coron, Palawan, on Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab confirmed during a press conference at the PCG National Headquarters in Port Area, Manila, that 43 survivors and five casualties have been confirmed. This information is based on the manifest submitted by the vessel's captain, which indicated a total of 134 people on board, comprising 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
The vessel, owned and operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., departed the Port of Batangas at around 8:13 p.m. on Tuesday and was scheduled to arrive in Coron at 6 p.m. the following day. The PCG received a report of the fire at around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday from an employee of the shipping company, prompting the immediate deployment of PCG assets, as well as nearby vessels, private floating assets, and fisherfolk in the area.
Cayabyab highlighted that the swift response was in line with the agency's "10:30 doctrine" under its Intensified Community Assistance, Awareness, Response and Enforcement (iCARE) program, which mandates the deployment of small assets within 10 minutes of an incident report. As of Thursday, the fire had not yet been declared out, with the PCG vessel BRP Suluan reporting thick smoke still emanating from the ship.
PCG personnel have been unable to board the vessel due to the continued presence of smoke, which poses a suffocation risk to responders. "Our topmost priority, aside from conducting the search and rescue, is to ensure the safety of our responders," Cayabyab stated.
The vessel seems to have drifted due to strong currents and wind, shifting its position from about 4 nautical miles off Barangay Turda to around 7.6 nautical miles as of Thursday. The PCG is coordinating with coastal barangays and has issued radio advisories asking vessels and aircraft in the area to watch for unusual floating objects and report possible sightings of survivors.
Search operations are being guided by the PCG's Search and Rescue Optimization Planning System, a science-based tool that factors in wind and current data to estimate possible drift locations. Regarding the cause of the fire, one survivor recounted hearing a loud explosion near the cargo hold before smoke and flames quickly spread through the vessel. However, Cayabyab declined to speculate on the cause, noting that a comprehensive investigation is underway.
The PCG is also examining whether the shipping company may be held liable, including if the crew was negligent in its response once the fire broke out. The agency is still verifying reports that two Chilean nationals may have been among those on board, along with identifying the roles of the survivors already rescued.
Cayabyab noted that some of the 43 survivors did not have life jackets when rescued, suggesting that the explosion and fire likely caused passengers to jump overboard immediately. The ship passed a Vessel Safety Enforcement Inspection on March 10, 2026, and was found compliant with safety requirements, including having enough life jackets on board for its certified capacity of 333 passengers and crew.
Most of the 43 survivors were taken to Coron District Hospital, with some already discharged as of Thursday. Cayabyab added that PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan has directed the intensification of pre-departure inspections for all vessels nationwide following the incident.
