87 missing in Philippine ferry fire: coast guard

At least five people are dead and 87 remain unaccounted for after a ferry fire erupted near a tourist hotspot in the Philippine province of Palawan, the country's coast guard said Thursday.

"Based on the data we have right now on rescued (42) and the casualties (five), we still have 87 people who are unaccounted for," coast guard Captain Noemi Cayabyab told a local radio station, adding the ship's manifest had listed 134 passengers and crew.

Attempts to put out the blaze were ongoing, she said.