At least five people were dead and more than 80 remained unaccounted for on September 10 as rescuers continued searching after the MV June Aster caught fire off Palawan. [S1][S5]
Philippine Coast Guard drone footage showed smoke rising from the burned-out ferry, and Reuters described the footage as showing the blackened vessel still smoking in blue-green waters. [S1][S5]
The fire began around 6:45 p.m. local time on September 9 as the Manila-origin ferry neared Coron in Palawan. [S2][S4]
The Coast Guard said the manifest listed 134 people aboard, comprising 117 passengers and 17 crew. [S2][S4]
Four reports gave a rescue tally of 43, while NBC reported 42, leaving that specific count unresolved in the supplied evidence. [S1][S2][S3][S4][S5]
The cause remained under investigation, with preliminary survivor interviews suggesting the cargo hold as the possible origin. [S2][S4]
Verification result: unverified insufficient evidence, because only Reuters independently and directly supports both the Coast Guard drone-footage description and the missing-person component, although several reporting families corroborate the deadly fire and large missing toll. [S1][S2][S4][S5]
