The MV June Aster was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members when it caught fire while approaching Coron, where it was due to arrive after departing from Manila.

The fire broke out at about 18:45 local time (10:45 GMT) on Wednesday and was still burning at 11:00 on Thursday, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Strong currents and thick smoke were hampering efforts to extinguish the blaze, officials said.

The coastguard said preliminary interviews with survivors indicated that the fire may have started in the vessel's cargo hold, where goods and containers are stored. Officials also said some passengers were not wearing life jackets.

Forty-three people have so far been rescued, although authorities have not confirmed how many of them were injured. Seven survivors were taken to a hospital on the neighbouring island of Culion, which has greater bed capacity and more comprehensive healthcare facilities.

Video released by the coastguard showed the ferry engulfed in flames as rescue teams pulled people from the water into boats.

One survivor, Roland Lerma, told the BBC that he spent about two hours floating in the sea before being rescued.

"It was cold. If the rescue had been delayed, I would definitely have died," he said.

A first responder described the incident as one of the worst disasters they had witnessed in Coron.

"I was one of the people who carried and transported the casualties to the hospital last night," the responder told the BBC, adding that the ferry had been about an hour away from its destination when the fire started.

The rescued passengers were taken to an evacuation centre in Barangay Turda, north of Marcilla. Their current medical condition remains unclear.

Families await news of missing passengers

Families of those still missing have been turning to social media and local news pages for information.

Rai Garcia said three family friends were among those missing.

Mae Lorraine Galera-Navoa, the sister of Garcia's brother-in-law, had travelled to Luzon to attend her father's funeral. She was returning to El Nido in Palawan with her husband, Elyzer Navoa, and their three-year-old daughter, Hiraya Joy, when the ferry caught fire.

"We haven't received any news yet. That's why we had to comment on local news threads just to receive updates," Garcia said.

"We still hope and pray for their safety."

Garcia's family also prepared a poster appealing for information about the family of three, using a photograph Mae had taken aboard the ferry and shared with relatives.

Other families have posted appeals on the Philippine Coast Guard's Facebook page, seeking information about missing relatives.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Ferry accidents a recurring concern

Maritime accidents are relatively common in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands where ferries are an affordable means of transporting people and cargo between islands.

Some islands have limited or no air connections, making sea travel essential for many communities.

However, ferries can face dangerous conditions caused by monsoon rains, severe weather and typhoons. The Philippines experiences an average of about 20 typhoons each year.

Previous maritime disasters have also been linked to poor maintenance and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations.

In 2023, 31 people were killed when fire broke out aboard the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 while it was travelling from Zamboanga City to Basilan island.

With 86 people still missing, the MV June Aster disaster could become one of the Philippines' deadliest ferry incidents in recent years.