Some panicked and jumped into the sea to avoid the flames. 195 passengers and 35 crew were saved alive.
At least ten people died in a fire on a passenger ferry in the southern Philippines late on Thursday. 195 passengers and 35 crew were rescued alive by the “MV Lady Mary Joy 3”, said the Coast Guard and Civil Protection.
The ferry caught fire near Baluk-Baluk island, about 880 kilometers south of the capital Manila, around 23:00 (local time). “Most of the passengers were sleeping at this point,” said Rejard Marpe of the local coast guard.
Jumped into the sea in a panic
Some passengers panicked and jumped overboard to avoid the flames, said Nixon Alonzo, head of disaster management for the region. “Some of the dead were found on the ship, others drowned.” The cause of the fire was initially unclear. However, some survivors said the flames emanated from air-conditioned cabins.
Traveling on water is part of everyday life in the Philippines. The archipelago is made up of more than 7,000 islands. Accidents are common due to inadequate safety standards and overcrowding. The worst peacetime maritime disaster occurred in Philippine waters in 1987, when a ferry collided with a tanker. More than 4,000 people lost their lives at that time.
(APA/dpa)