Philippine rescuers board ferry 40 hours after blaze began

ByVirma Simonette Rivera, Reporting fromManila and Kelly Ng. 11 September 2026, 05: 23 BST.

Key points

• They finally obtained on at concerning 11: 30 local time (03: 30 GMT) on Friday, the coast guard noted.
• Photos shared by the Philippine Coast Guard on Friday morning indicated smoke still curling from the ferry.
• When it caught fire, the ferry, which set off from Manila, was nearing its destination at the tourist hotspot of Coron, in the province of Palawan.
• While 43 individuals have been rescued, numerous of whom are receiving treatment in hospital, five individuals been identified dead.
• "The biggest challenge for us really is to penetrate the ship there is still a visible, thick smoke, " the coastguard's spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab informed the BBC earlier.

More than 40 hours after a deadly ferry fire began, Philippine rescuers have boarded the charred remains of the MV June Aster in search of dozens of missing individuals.

While 43 individuals have been rescued, numerous of whom are receiving treatment in hospital, five individuals been identified dead. Eighty-four individuals remain missing.

Photos shared by the Philippine Coast Guard on Friday morning indicated smoke still curling from the ferry. It had been travelling from the capital Manila to the island of Coron – though the plumes appear to have died down in fresh photos from Friday afternoon.

Authorities struggled to board the hull since operations began on Wednesday as of the toxic fumes and heat.

"No matter how we try to push through, high temperatures and toxic smoke remain a severe risk to our personnel, " she informed local media earlier.

Smoke resulting from incomplete burning contains dense, lethal concentrations of carbon monoxide.

Earlier, authorities documented that 86 were still unaccounted for, but as of Friday morning, the figure stood at 84 – two passengers whose names were on the ship's manifest did not go onboard, authorities say.

Rescuers have widened their search area, Cayabyab notes, adding that the coastguard has deployed one of its largest ships and done radio broadcasts to vessels in the area. The search teams are additionally accompanied by divers and nurses.

Notably, a local diver in Coron informed the BBC on Friday that he and his team were on standby to assist out and awaiting instructions from the coast guard.

In practice, the coast guard additionally conducted an aerial survey of waters near the disaster site.

For context, the plan is to resume firefighting efforts, first from the cargo hold of the ferry. It is the compartment where containers and or goods are stored, Cayabyab remarked.

Earlier, the coastguard remarked preliminary interviews with the survivors suggest that was where the fire kicked off. Some passengers were not wearing life vests, they observed.

Notably, a survivor who was hauled to safety on a rescue boat had described the frantic cries on board the passenger-cargo vessel when the fire erupted on Wednesday evening.

Roland Lerma recalled falling while scrambling to obtain off the burning boat.

"When I was on the floor, people were trampling me, " the 30-year-old informed the BBC.

He began crawling until he could find his footing again, before leaping off the vessel into the sea. Though he could not create out their faces in the dark, lerma remarked he saw children who had additionally jumped in the water.

"It was cold If the rescue had been delayed, I would definitely have died, " he remarked.

When it caught fire, the ferry, which set off from Manila, was nearing its destination at the tourist hotspot of Coron, in the province of Palawan. The Philippines' maritime authority is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

For context, the ferry, built in 2002, held valid safety certificates and passed an enforcement inspection in March, but investigators are looking into potential manifest discrepancies, cargo loading integrity, and crew emergency response protocols, the Palawan Daily documented.

Atienza Interisland Ferries, the vessel's operator, has pledged full cooperation with the inquiry.

"Our hearts remain with the affected families, and we will not rest until all individuals are accounted for, " the firm stated in an official note on Thursday.

Taken together, the developments around philippine rescuers board ferry 40 hours after blaze began point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.