THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed divers for a search and rescue mission after a Coron-bound passenger vessel with at least 134 people onboard caught fire while on sea.
Initial information provided to the media had five casualties who were found without life jackets. The divers were also able to rescue 42 passengers of the ill-fated vessel.
“Currently, we have 42 rescued individuals and five casualties,” said PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, even as she claimed that coast guard divers are still searching for 87 unaccounted individuals.
“Kung pagbabasehan natin, yung binigay sa atin na manifesto na total of 134, so we are still locating and identifying 87 individuals pa po,” Cayabyab added.
Based on the manifesto, 134 people were on board when the vessel caught fire — 117 were passengers and 17 were crew members.
The PCG has yet to identify the passengers of the ill-fated vessel which reportedly left Baseco, Manila at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Rescued individuals are being brought to a covered court in Barangay Turda in Coron and turned over to the local government for assistance.
The PCG is looking into the possibility that the vessel was overloaded. Probers are also checking whether passengers were provided with life jackets.
As this developed, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) claims to have commenced an investigation into the fire incident on a vessel in Coron, Palawan.
The agency also assured assistance to the 43 survivors of the ill-fated MV June Aster.
“The Maritime Industry Authority has immediately deployed an investigation team and mobilized teams from the Regional Office IV to actively coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard and provide assistance to the survivors following the fire incident involving passenger vessel MV ‘June Aster’ in the vicinity of Barangay Marcilla, Coron, Palawan, on 9 September 2026,” the agency said.
“Our Enforcement Service (ES) has also commenced a Marine Safety Investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” it added.
