Photos shared by the coast guard showed one of its vessels spraying water on the burning ferry as personnel in smaller boats plucked passengers from the dark waters.
Manila: At least 31 people killed and 230 others were rescued after a massive fire broke out on a ferry in the southern Philippines. The incident happened when Lady Mary Joy 3 was travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province. Over 31 people drowned or died in the blaze and were discovered later, a provincial governor told news agency AP.
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Rescue Operation Underway
Photos shared by the coast guard showed one of its vessels spraying water on the burning ferry as personnel in smaller boats plucked passengers from the dark waters.
Many of those rescued had jumped off the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 in panic at the height of the fire and were plucked from the sea by the coast guard, navy, another ferry and local fishermen, said Governor Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan.
However, the search and rescue effort is still underway for at least seven missing passengers.
Ferry Towed to Basilan’s Shoreline
Soon after the incident, the burned ferry was towed to Basilan’s shoreline, where coast guard personnel and other authorities discovered 18 more bodies in a budget section of the passenger cabin, Hataman said, adding the search of the vessel was continuing.
“These victims perished onboard due to the fire,” Hataman said. The governor said an investigation was underway and the discovery suggested there were additional travelers not listed on the vessel’s manifest.
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23 Passengers Were Injured
Authorities said at least 23 passengers were injured and brought to hospitals. “Some of the passengers were roused from sleep due to the commotion caused by the fire. Some jumped off the ship,” Hataman told The Associated Press by telephone.
Notably, these kinds of sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained boats, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is generally affected by poor sea transport, with its badly regulated ferries prone to overcrowding and accidents.
(With inputs from agencies)
