The final voyage of the MV June Aster, a 59-meter passenger-cargo Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO) vessel operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, Inc., began at the Baseco port area in Metro Manila. The ship carried a total manifest of 134 individuals, comprising 117 passengers and 17 crew members, and was bound for the tourist destination of Coron, Palawan.
Specific public registry records detailing the exact construction year or age of the MV June Aster are sparse, as commercial database profiles for the 59-meter RORO vessel primarily track its operational metrics and maritime registry data.
However, its operational history within the domestic fleet of Atienza Interisland Ferries, Inc. is well-documented. The vessel previously made regional headlines in late September 2025 when it ran aground approximately 30 meters off the shoreline of Barangay Poblacion in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, during a typhoon while carrying 14,000 liters of diesel fuel, vehicles, and equipment, resulting in the safe rescue of all 16 crew members on board.
As the vessel neared its destination on the evening of Wednesday, September 9, 2026, disaster struck in the municipal waters between Tara and Turda islands. At approximately 6:45 PM, when the ship was located roughly 1.2 nautical miles northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron, a sudden, catastrophic fire broke out.
According to survivor accounts from the ground, the incident unfolded with terrifying speed after a loud blast tore through the vessel, instantly plunging the ship into a total blackout.
Passengers occupying the air-conditioned lower-deck quarters allegedly found themselves trapped as thick smoke, intense heat, and rapid darkness hindered emergency evacuation before flames completely engulfed the vessel.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received distress reports immediately, triggering a multi-agency mobilization. Coast Guard Sub-Stations in Barangay Turda and Tara, local fishermen, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Coron Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) rushed to the scene. Coast Guard District Palawan also deployed the BRP Suluan (MRRV 4406) from El Nido to augment rescue efforts.
Rescuers pulled 42 survivors from the burning vessel and surrounding waters. Many of the rescued passengers suffered from varying degrees of burns and acute smoke inhalation from being trapped below deck.
The survivors were initially brought to the Barangay Turda Covered Court for triage before being transferred to the Coron District Hospital and other nearby medical facilities for emergency treatment. Meanwhile, recovery teams retrieved five fatalities, whose remains were turned over to the Coron MDRRMO.
With 42 survivors rescued and five fatalities confirmed as of press time, search and rescue (SAR) operations remain active for the 87 individuals still unaccounted for.
The PCG has also deployed environmental protection equipment to manage potential marine pollution around the disaster area, while maritime authorities continue formal investigations into the exact cause of the fire.
