A Philippine ferry carrying 120 passengers caught fire at sea on Sunday. All the passengers have been rescued safely and the fire has also been extinguished. A coast guard said that the M/V Esperanza Star caught fire at dawn while it was headed from Siquijor province to Bohol province in central Philippines. 65 passengers and 55 crew members were on board at the time of the incident. Two vessels were deployed for rescue and to extinguish the flames which had been burning for over five hours, reported news agency Associated Press.
In the visuals shared by the coast guard, flames along with black smoke were seen coming out from two decks at one end of the ferry. A coast guard who was onboard another vessel used a water cannon to put out the fire while a fishing boat along with another vessel was seen nearby.
फिलीपींस के समंदर में धू-धूकर जला 120 लोगों को ले जा रहा जहाज, रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन जारीhttps://t.co/smwhXUROiK@vivekstake | @aparna_journo #Philippines #PhilippinesFire#FerryFire #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/klODNaGjEL
— ABP News (@ABPNews) June 18, 2023
A coast guard spokeswoman Joy Gumatay while speaking to AP said, “All those who were onboard the ferry are safe.” She further said that all the survivors were brought to the port city of Tagbilaran in Bohol province and a probe into the matter was underway.
Sea accidents are not unusual in the Philippine archipelago rather it happens often due to frequent storms, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and spotty enforcement of safety regulations especially in the remote provinces, reported AP.
In another incident, a fire broke out and raged overnight on a ferry in March. Around 250 people were onboard out of which at least 31 died including passengers as well as crew members off the southern island province of Basilan, the coast guard said.
Back in 1987, a ferry named Dona Paz sank after it collided with a fuel tanker. That incident led to the death of 4,300 people.
