5 dead, 87 missing, 42 rescued in ferry fire near Palawan, Philippines

Coast Guard: "Rescue and search of 42 people in progress... Number of missing people may change."

(Jakarta = Yonhap News) Correspondent Son Hyeon-gyu = A passenger ship caught fire in the sea near Palawan Island in the Philippines, killing 5 people and leaving 87 missing.

According to AP and Reuters on the 10th (local time), a passenger ship operating in the sea near Coron, northern Palawan Island, western Philippines, caught fire the night before.

The Philippine Coast Guard said that five people were killed in the accident, 87 were missing, and 42 were rescued.

Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemi Kayabeng said in an interview with local media, "The passenger list showed that there were 117 passengers and 17 crew members on board," but added, "The number of missing people may change as the search is ongoing."

Among the 42 people rescued, 38 were passengers and the remaining 4 were confirmed to be crew members.

Video released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed the passenger ship's hull completely engulfed in flames.

At the time of the accident, the ferry departed from Baseco in the Manila port area and was heading to Coron.

In the Philippines, which is made up of about 7,000 islands, maritime accidents frequently occur because many ships do not follow boarding restrictions or are old.

In 1987, the passenger ship Donna Paz collided with an oil tanker and sank, killing more than 4,300 people, making it the worst maritime accident in history.