Search continues for missing passengers after MV June Aster fire off Palawan
A fire broke out on the passenger ferry MV June Aster about 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla, Coron, Palawan, at roughly 6:45 p.m., while it was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members. The Philippine Coast Guard and the Coron Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office have been coordinating rescue and search efforts. As of the latest reports, 43 people have been rescued and the search remains underway for the remaining passengers.
The vessel, operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries Inc., left the Port of Batangas with a manifest listing 134 aboard. Authorities are focusing on locating the missing passengers and securing the scene.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 8h later
- Reported people missing range from 5 to 87 across outlets
- Coverage peaked at 11 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
Families of the passengers are awaiting news while officials continue the search operation.
How this story developed
- Sep 9 Fire breaks out on MV June Aster carrying over 100 passengers near Coron
- Sep 10 Rescue teams have saved 28 passengers and taken them to a basketball court in Brgy. Turda.
- Sep 10 Authorities began focusing on locating the missing passengers.
- Sep 11 Rescue numbers rose to 43 as the search for remaining passengers continued.
