Search Intensifies After Ferry Fire Off Palawan Leaves Dozens Missing
Qwenews.com – Rescue crews were racing to locate survivors in waters off Palawan on Thursday after a passenger ferry caught fire overnight, leaving five people dead and more than 80 unaccounted for. The emergency has triggered a wide search across an area complicated by shifting currents, wind and the vessel’s continued smoke and heat.
The Philippine Coast Guard deployed ships and other resources to the scene, while teams used drift-modelling tools to estimate where passengers who entered the water may have been carried. Authorities had rescued 43 people by Thursday, but the total number of missing could still change as officials reconcile survivor information with the ferry’s passenger list.
Manifest Lists 134 People Aboard
Commodore Noemie Cayabyab, a Coast Guard spokesperson, said the ferry manifest recorded 117 passengers and 17 crew members. With 43 survivors and five confirmed fatalities, officials estimated that more than 80 people had not yet been located.
The ferry had left Baseco in Manila and was traveling to Coron in Palawan. Coron is a major visitor destination, widely known for diving, beaches and trips among its islands. Two Chilean nationals were among those rescued, said Aileen Ausente, spokesperson for the Coast Guard in Palawan.
Aircraft were being kept ready to support the operation if weather conditions allowed. The scale of the search reflects both the number of people still missing and the difficulty of tracing individuals across open water after a maritime emergency.
Smoke Prevents Access to Burned Vessel
Responders had not been able to board the ferry as the search continued. Thick smoke was still rising from the ship hours after flames erupted on Wednesday night, while extreme heat and the possibility of explosions created further dangers for rescue personnel.
Drone images released by the Coast Guard showed the blackened vessel surrounded by blue-green water, with smoke continuing to rise. During the night, currents and winds moved the damaged ferry farther from its original position, Cayabyab said, adding another challenge to efforts to establish where survivors may be drifting.
In such circumstances, rescue planners must account for the movement of both the vessel and anyone in the sea. Wind direction, water currents, visibility and weather can all affect where search teams focus their resources. The use of drift modelling is intended to narrow the most likely search zones as time passes.
Cause of Blaze Still Being Examined
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Officials have not publicly identified what started the blaze, and access restrictions around the ferry may delay a full examination of the vessel.
The disaster highlights the central role of sea travel in the Philippines, a country made up of more than 7,600 islands. Ferries and other boats provide essential links between Manila, provincial communities and tourist areas, carrying people who may otherwise face limited practical transport options between islands.
That dependence also means maritime accidents can have severe consequences. The country has experienced major ferry disasters in the past, with overcrowding, bad weather and weak enforcement of safety rules among factors connected to previous incidents. Each emergency renews attention on passenger records, onboard safety systems, evacuation readiness and the ability of authorities to respond quickly when a vessel is in distress.
For families awaiting news, the figures remain provisional. The number of people identified as rescued, deceased or missing can shift as responders bring more survivors to shore, verify names and compare accounts from passengers and crew with the manifest. Search operations were continuing as crews worked to overcome the hazardous conditions around the burned ferry.
The immediate priority remains finding those who may have survived the fire and entered the water. At the same time, investigators will need to determine how the blaze began and whether any conditions aboard the Manila-to-Coron ferry contributed to the scale of the emergency.
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