Distraught families are pleading for answers as the search continues for 80 people still missing following a catastrophic fire aboard the M/V June Aster near Coron, Philippines. As night fell on Thursday, the shipping operator, Atienza Interisland Ferries, remained disturbingly silent, failing to provide any updates to the relatives of the 134 passengers and crew involved in the disaster. Even government labor officials reportedly struggled to gain information from the company, leaving families in a state of agonizing uncertainty as they hold onto fading hope.

Survivors described a harrowing scene where a sudden explosion plunged the vessel into darkness while many were eating dinner, quickly trapping victims in the rapidly spreading inferno. Among the tragic stories is that of Benjamin Indic, a survivor who was transporting his late wife’s body home for burial; he managed to escape the flames but now faces the unbearable loss of his pregnant daughter, who remains missing. While the Philippine Coast Guard and local fishermen continue to scour nearby islands for survivors, the sheer speed at which the fire consumed the ferry has made the rescue mission increasingly difficult, leaving families to wait in grief for any word from the authorities.