At least 35 people have died and dozens more remain missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Palawan in the western Philippines on Wednesday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The coast guard released video footage showing the vessel engulfed in flames and thick black smoke as it drifted in open water. Search and rescue operations continued through the day, with coast guard patrol boats and nearby fishing vessels combing the area for survivors and bodies.
Authorities have not yet given a full account of how many passengers and crew were aboard when the fire broke out, and the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. The coast guard said the priority was to account for everyone on the manifest and to bring survivors to shore for medical treatment.
Ferry accidents are a recurring tragedy in the Philippine archipelago, where millions of people depend on inter-island shipping to travel between more than 7,000 islands. Vessels are often crowded, and safety enforcement has long been criticised as weak. In recent decades, the country has recorded some of the world's deadliest peacetime maritime disasters, including collisions and fires that claimed hundreds of lives.
Palawan, a province in the country's south-west, is a major destination for domestic and international tourism, known for its limestone cliffs, dive sites and marine reserves. The ferry route involved in Wednesday's incident serves communities and visitors moving between islands in the region.
The Philippine Coast Guard said it would release further details as the search progressed, including the number of survivors rescued and the identities of those confirmed dead. Officials urged relatives of passengers to contact local authorities for information rather than travelling to the scene.
There was no immediate indication that weather played a role in the fire. The coast guard is expected to inspect the wreck once the vessel is secured and to interview surviving crew members as part of its investigation.
For Dominicans, the disaster is a distant but familiar reminder of the risks small island states face at sea. The Commonwealth of Dominica relies on ferries and small craft for travel between Roseau, Portsmouth and neighbouring islands, and the Office of Disaster Management regularly stresses the importance of life jackets, passenger manifests and emergency drills on all vessels. While the circumstances in the Philippines are still being established, the incident underlines why maritime safety procedures matter in archipelagic states.
Regional maritime bodies in the Caribbean have previously called for stricter enforcement of passenger boat regulations, particularly during the busy tourist season and ahead of major festivals. In Dominica, the coast guard and port authorities conduct inspections of ferries serving the island, and the Dominica Meteorological Service issues marine warnings when swells or high winds make crossings hazardous.
The Philippine authorities have not announced a national day of mourning, but President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has previously ordered swift action after major ferry disasters. The coast guard said it would continue searching overnight where conditions allowed, with additional divers and medical teams on standby.
Further updates are expected as survivors are brought ashore and the manifest is reconciled. The number of dead and missing may change as rescue teams reach more of the vessel and as families report relatives who were believed to be on board.
