Philippine Rescuers Search Burning Ferry MV June Aster After Deadly Fire

According to the BBC, Philippine rescuers boarded the charred MV June Aster more than 40 hours after a ferry fire began, as they searched for dozens of missing passengers. Five people have been found dead, 43 have been rescued and are receiving hospital treatment, and 84 remain missing. The Philippine Coast Guard said it was able to board the vessel at about 11:30 local time (03:30 GMT) on Friday after struggling with toxic fumes and heat. Officials said smoke was still rising from the ferry on Friday morning, though it appeared to have eased later in the day. The vessel had been traveling from Manila to Coron when the fire broke out, and rescuers widened their search area, deployed one of the coast guard's largest ships, and used radio broadcasts to contact nearby vessels. Divers and nurses were also accompanying the search teams, and the coast guard carried out an aerial survey of waters near the disaster site. The coast guard said preliminary interviews with survivors suggested the fire started in the cargo hold. The Philippines' maritime authority is investigating the incident, including possible manifest discrepancies, cargo loading integrity and crew emergency response protocols. Atienza Interisland Ferries, the operator of the vessel built in 2002, said it would fully cooperate with the inquiry.