Philippines: All 120 people aboard rescued after ferry fire
June 18, 2023
All 120 passengers and crew members aboard a ferry that caught fire at sea in the Philippines on Sunday were rescued, the coast guard said.
The fire has since been extinguished, the coast guard confirmed.
"All those who were onboard the ferry are safe," Joy Gumatay, coast guard spokeswoman, said in a statement but gave no further details.
She said that the survivors were brought to the port city of Tagbilaran in Bohol province. An investigation is now underway, Gumatay added.
What happened?
The M/V Esperanza Star caught fire early in the morning as it was traveling from Siquijor province to Bohol province in the central Philippines, the coast guard said.
The coast guard released photographs and a video of the burning ferry that showed flames and black smoke billowing from two decks at one end of the ferry.
There were 65 passengers and 55 crew members on board, while the coast guard deployed two vessels for the rescue operation to help put out the flames, which raged for more than five hours.
A history of poor sea safety
An archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, the Philippines has a bad record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many old ships still in use.
In March, a vessel with around 250 people on board caught fire in the southern Philippines, leading to the death of more than two dozen people, including a six-month-old baby.
jsi, dvv/sms (AP, Reuters)