At least 120 people were rescued alive this Sunday after the boat they were traveling on caught fire off the coast of the central region of the Philippines, the country’s Coast Guard reported.
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According to preliminary information, 120 people, including 55 crew members and 65 passengers, were on board the ship MV Esperanza Star, He was heading to the city of Tagbilaran, when it caught fire in the waters off the island of Panglao.
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According to the coast guard, all individuals on board were rescued alive by passing rescue boats and fishermen and have been taken to the city of Tagbilaran for medical attention, food and water.
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“The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continues with firefighting and rescue operations in response to a maritime incident involving a passenger and cargo ship,” the institution detailed.
In videos and images shared by rescuers on social media, it is possible to see the ship on fire and a thick wall of smoke, while rescue boats try to contain the fire.
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A passenger ferry carrying 65 passengers and 55 crew members caught fire off the coast of the central Philippines on June 18.
According to coast guard officials, all passengers and crew members were rescued safely pic.twitter.com/U0lZQHaHlx
— TRT World (@trtworld) June 18, 2023
The causes of the accident are still unknown, but initial information indicates that the fire started in the engine room and spread to the rear of the boat, as explained in statements to journalists by the head of the local Management and Disaster Risk Reduction, Anthony Damalerio.
Incidents involving cargo and passenger ships are not unusual in the Philippines, whose deficient maritime transport facilitates accidents and overcrowding in their ferries.
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At the end of last March, a serious fire on a ferry in the south of the country left more than 30 dead, including at least three children, while at least 230 other people were rescued alive.
EFE
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