Blaze on Philippine passenger ferry kills at least 10

World
By William

About 230 people have been rescued after a ferry caught fire in the sea off the southern Philippine province of Basilan.

At least 10 people have died and about 230 have been rescued after a passenger ferry caught fire in the sea off the southern Philippine province of Basilan, a Coast Guard official and rescuers said.

Nine other people were injured in the fire that started in air-conditioned huts on Wednesday night, Commodore Rejard Marfe, head of the coast guard in southern Mindanao, told DZMM radio station.

Photos shared by the Coast Guard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 vessel being sprayed with water as rescued passengers were taken to shore.

The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 was en route from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province when the fire broke out, forcing passengers to jump overboard, an aid worker told reporters.

Basilan Governor Jim Salliman said more people could go missing because the number of passengers on the ship exceeded the 205 listed in the ship’s manifest.

“Probably there are passengers who have not registered for the event,” he said. Survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan, where the injured were treated for burns, Salliman said.

It was not clear how the fire started.

Nixon Alonzo, head of the Basilan disaster agency, said some passengers jumped into the sea when the fire broke out.

“Some of the fatalities have been recovered from the ship and some have drowned,” he said. “There were signs of burns on some of the victims.”

The Coast Guard said it will assist with an investigation and safety assessment, as well as monitor for signs of an oil spill.

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor maritime safety record, with ships often overcrowded and many obsolete vessels still in use.

In May, at least seven people were killed after a fire on a Philippine high-speed ferry with 134 people on board.

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