On a Wednesday night in the waters off Palawan, a ferry named MV June Aster — carrying 134 souls between Manila and the island destination of Coron — was consumed by fire, claiming five lives and leaving 87 people unaccounted for by morning. The sea, which connects the Philippine archipelago's scattered communities and sustains the rhythms of daily life across its vast distances, revealed once more its capacity for sudden and indiscriminate tragedy. Forty-two survivors were pulled from the darkness and brought to shore, while investigators began the slow work of understanding how the blaze beg
Ferry fire off Philippines kills 5, leaves 87 missing as search continues
Five people killed and 87 missing in the ferry fire; 42 rescued and taken to evacuation centers.