A FIRE burned overnight on a passenger ferry off the western Philippines, leaving dozens of people missing today and killing at least five.

So far, 43 people have been rescued, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said. 

The ferry MV June Aster was afloat but listing after the fire, which started Wednesday evening, was put out. Tendrils of smoke still wafted over the charred vessel by noon.

“We are continuing search-and-rescue operations,” she said, with a coast guard ship and high-speed response boats joined by a military vessel and other government boats, private volunteers and fishermen.

The coast guard made a radio broadcast to ships nearby to be on the lookout for passengers of the ferry. It has also co-ordinated with coastal villages in case some passengers drifted to the shore.

Images of the night-time rescue efforts showed coast guard personnel tossed life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background. 

Passengers were helped into smaller boats taking them to shallow water, and body bags were laid out at what looked like a port.

The ferry had sailed from the capital Manila and was near its destination of Coron in Palawan province when the fire started around 6.45pm on Wednesday.