Philippines probes into ferry fire near Coron that kills at least 5

The Philippine coast guard says a passenger ferry caught fire in waters near Coron in the country's western Palawan Province on Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring scores of others.

Authorities estimate more than 80 people went missing after 43 are rescued.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

The ferry MV June Aster that sailed from Manila was nearing its destination of Coron, a tourist destination celebrated for pristine beaches, when a fire tore through its decks at around 6:45pm.

A distress signal was sent Wednesday evening when the ship was 7.4 kilometres off Turda, whereas sea currents dragged it to a distance of over 14 kilometres off the village.

Video footage captured the scene when coast guard personnel threw life jackets to survivors and said "Keep calm, give him a jacket" with the charred vessel burning in the background.

The Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman tells DZXL radio its manifest listed 134 people onboard - including 117 passengers and 17 crew - while dozens of people remain unaccounted for.

The official confirms 43 survivors have been plucked from the sea by responders and local fishermen so far.

Among those rescued are two Chilean nationals, according to a spokesperson for PCG in Palawan, who says air assets are on standby to help with rescue operations despite thick smoke, extreme heat and explosion risks.

Drift-modelling tools are used to identify areas where people may have been carried by currents.

The disaster is the latest tragedy to spotlight the safety failures often linked to overcrowding that plague maritime transport in the archipelago.

It is still unclear what caused this incident.

The coast guard has stated it was coordinating with the shipping company and maritime authorities to get more details.