A ferry caught fire on Wednesday in waters near Palawan in the Philippines, killing at least five people, while 87 others remain missing. The figures were released by the Philippine Coast Guard and reported by AFP.
Të lidhura
None found
So far, rescue teams have brought 42 people to safety, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.
However, authorities warned that the toll could change in the coming hours, as the search in the area where the incident occurred has not yet been completed.
A Coast Guard captain told a local radio station that dozens of people had still not been found and that the published figures remained provisional.
“Based on the information we currently have on the people rescued and the victims, we still have 87 people about whom we have no information,” Captain Noemi Cayabyab said on Thursday.
She explained that the figures were being updated in real time and could change as search-and-rescue operations continued.
According to information cited by AFP, the ferry was carrying a total of 134 passengers and crew members. Of the 42 people rescued, 38 were passengers and four were crew members.
Authorities have not yet been able to obtain a complete account from all the survivors because they have not managed to communicate with them.
The ferry had departed from the Port of Manila and was sailing south toward its destination of Coron, in Palawan province. According to the Coast Guard, the fire broke out about 1.2 nautical miles (2.2 kilometers) northeast of Barangay Marcilla.
Search-and-rescue teams continue to work at the scene. The list of missing people also includes three members of the same family.
Rai Garcia, who has three missing relatives, said Mae Lorraine Galera-Navoa, his brother-in-law’s sister, had gone to Luzon for her father’s funeral.
After the ceremony, she was returning to her home with her husband, Elyzer Navoa, and their three-year-old daughter, Hiraya Joy.
“They were traveling from Manila to return home when we heard the news,” Garcia said.
Relatives have shared a poster appealing for any information about the three-member family. It includes a photograph Mae had taken during the ferry journey and sent to her close family members.
The family was traveling home to El Nido, Palawan, when the ferry caught fire.
“We still have not received any news. That is why we have had to comment on local media posts just to get the latest information,” Garcia said.
“We still hope and pray for their safety.”
