Philippines ferry fire kills at least 35, dozens still missing

At least 35 people are dead, and more than 50 remain missing after a fire engulfed the passenger ferry MV Jun Aster off the coast of Coron, Palawan province, in the Philippines.

The ferry carried 134 people when the fire broke out, and thick smoke and flames spread quickly, forcing passengers and crew to jump overboard. Dozens have been rescued, but emergency teams took more than 24 hours to board the burned-out vessel.

Families are anxiously awaiting news of loved ones. Sonny Monreal has been waiting for word on his pregnant daughter, saying he wants to go to the scene to see whether she is alive. Gianne Queling's brother Wilfredo was not listed among the survivors when the manifest was released.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a focused rescue operation, though the search continues as the full scale of the disaster only now becomes clear. The Philippines has a long history of maritime tragedies, in part because sea travel remains essential across its thousands of islands.

Al Jazeera's Jamela Alindogan reports from Manila.

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