At least 12 people died in a fire on a passenger ferry in the southern Philippines overnight. 195 passengers and 35 crew were rescued alive by the “MV Lady Mary Joy 3”, said the Coast Guard and Civil Protection. Initially, seven people were still missing.
APA/AFP/Philippine Coast Guard (pcg)
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.
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.