(MANILA) At least seven people died and around 100 were rescued in the Philippines on Monday after a ferry fire forced passengers overboard, coast guards and witnesses said.
Posted yesterday at 10:08 p.m.
The fire broke out on the Mercraft 2 while it was transporting 124 passengers from Polillo Island to Real, in the province of Quezon, on the main island of Luzon.
Seven people died and 120 were rescued, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armando Balilo said.
A total of 134 passengers and crew were on board. Search operations to find survivors are underway.
Thick billows of black smoke billowed from the boat as flames engulfed the entire vessel, according to photos released by the Coast Guard.
People, hanging from buoys and wearing life jackets, were in the water. Some were rescued by other ferries.
“We were able to rescue 40 survivors. We have two fatalities,” said Captain Brunette Azagra, whose ship was 500 meters from the Mercraft when the fire broke out.
“They were lucky because we also came from Polillo. They passed us, but we were right next to it,” Azagra told local radio.
At least 21 people have been hospitalized, according to Ricky Poblete, in charge of disaster management in the city of Real.
“The boat is still far from the port, it is about seven kilometers,” he said.