Philippine Ferry with 120 People on Board Catches Fire (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – All 120 passengers and crew members aboard a Philippine ferry that caught fire at sea on Sunday were rescued safely and the fire was extinguished, the coast guard said.
According to the coast guard, the ferry was en route from Siquijor province to Bohol province in the central Philippines with 65 passengers and 55 crew members when it caught fire at dawn. The coast guard promptly dispatched two vessels for rescue operations and to assist in extinguishing the flames, which persisted for over five hours.
Photographs and video footage released by the coast guard depict flames and thick black smoke emanating from two decks at one end of the ferry. Coast guard personnel aboard another vessel utilized a water cannon to extinguish the fire, while a fishing boat and another vessel were observed in close proximity.
Joy Gumatay, the coast guard spokeswoman, stated, "All those who were onboard the ferry are safe," but did not provide further details. The survivors have been transported to the port city of Tagbilaran in Bohol province, and an investigation is currently underway.
Sea accidents are not uncommon in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of safety regulations, particularly in remote provinces.
In March, a ferry carrying approximately 250 individuals caught fire, resulting in the death of at least 31 passengers and crew members off the southern island province of Basilan, as reported by the coast guard. Additionally, in December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, resulting in the loss of over 4,300 lives, marking the world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
