Firefighters finally board gutted Philippine ferry, 84 still missing

The ferry, with capacity for 330 people, was also carrying five motorcycles, an electric vehicle, a forklift, a pickup truck and mostly cargo goods, according to the coast guard.

Ferry travel is a common mode of transport in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, where millions of people rely on boats to travel between provinces.

The country has a patchy maritime safety record, and many previous ferry disasters have been linked to overcrowding, rough weather and lax enforcement of safety regulations.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Stephen Coates and Kate Mayberry)