Palawan Ferry Fire Kills Five, Leaves 87 Missing

At least five people died and 43 were rescued after the M/V June Aster caught fire Wednesday evening while traveling from Manila to Coron, Palawan; 84 people remained unaccounted for after two passengers listed on the manifest confirmed they had not boarded. Thick smoke, intense heat, possible explosions and rough weather hampered the search, while coast guard vessels, divers, military boats, fishermen and volunteers assisted; the cause remained under investigation. Separately, at least 25 people died when the Liberia-flagged cargo ship Ocean Melody caught fire during repairs at the state-owned Qingdao Beihai shipyard in northeastern China. Seventeen of the 42 people aboard were rescued, including five hospitalized in stable condition, and the blaze was extinguished after several hours. Chinese authorities ordered emergency rescue efforts, an investigation and measures to prevent further accidents, but had not determined the cause.