Smoke from charred ferry in Philippines hampers rescuers looking for 84 missing

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Rescuers were hampered by the smoky, charred condition of a ferry drifting in Philippine waters Friday after a fire onboard that left 84 people missing and killed at least five.

Smoke still drifted from the listing, heavily damaged ferry, which appeared to have drifted closer to shore overnight. Rescuers had struggled to get into the ferry Thursday due to the smoke and heat, and the efforts were halted overnight.

Coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said conditions were being assessed and getting onto the vessel was the intention Friday.

The MV June Aster had sailed from the capital, Manila, and was around 4 nautical miles (7.4 kilometers) off the village of Turda near its destination of Coron in Palawan province when the fire was reported Wednesday evening. The coast guard and other vessels rescued 43 people, some plucked from the dark waters 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. “I wanted to get a life jacket but failed to get one because people were stepping on me. People were in panic.”

He said he was eventually able to jump out from a window.

The coast guard, other government agencies, private volunteers and fishermen searched the nearby waters, and coastal patrols checked if some people may have drifted to shore, but no new survivors or fatalities have been found.

According to the manifest, 134 people were onboard, 117 of them passengers and 17 crew. The 53-meter (174-foot) vessel had a capacity to carry 306 passengers and 27 crew.

Two passengers listed in the manifest reported to authorities that they failed to board, bringing the number of missing to 84, the coast guard said.

Two of the survivors were tourists from Chile, according to Rachel Conserman, a staffer of the ship’s owner Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc. They are recovering from injuries in a hospital in Coron, she said, adding that there no other foreigners known to have been on the ship.

The shipping company in a statement said it is coordinating with the coast guard and maritime officials to locate missing passengers and cooperating fully with authorities to determine the cause of the fire. It said it was assisting all those on board and their families.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.

Coron is a popular tourist destination known for clear blue waters, limestone cliffs and rock formations.

Ferries are frequently used for transport in the Philippine archipelago. Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.

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