Five reported dead, 42 rescued as ship catches fire off Coron

Five persons have been reported dead, while 42 others have been rescued after a passenger ship carrying more than 100 passengers from Manila caught fire in waters off Coron on Wednesday night.

This is according to Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jane Gesulgon, the district commander in Palawan.

The PCG said commercial vessel MV Jun Aster came from the Baseco area in Manila and was en route to Coron in Palawan when it was engulfed by flames around 6:45 p.m.

Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire.

The Coast Guard said the manifest listed 117 passengers and 17 crew.

PCG said the incident happened in the vicinity waters approximately 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron.

The PCG coordinated with Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Turda, CGSS Tara, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Coron, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Coron, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Coron, and shipping lines with vessels berthed at the Port of Coron to facilitate immediate rescue and assistance.

PCG personnel from the Maritime Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) Northeastern Palawan and Coast Guard Special Operations Group (SOG) were deployed to the incident area to conduct rescue and provide assistance to those onboard.

BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) departed the Port of San Fernando, El Nido, and proceeded to the incident location to provide additional assistance.

The PCG continues to monitor the situation and is coordinating with concerned agencies to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew members. —NB, GMA News