A fire broke out on a Philippine’s cargo ship with 133 passengers on board, as it sailed off the port of Tagbilaran in the southern province of Bohol.
Head of the Tagbilaran City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) Anthony Damalerio said that a fire erupted outside the engine room, a few kilometers off the Tagbilaran City Port with 72 passengers and 61 crew members, according to the Philippines News Agency (PNA).
He added that fisherfolk and the crew of another passenger vessel rescued all passengers and crew on board without any injuries happening, as the fire was immediately put off and averted further damage to the vessel.
On March 30, the Philippines witnessed a similar incident that killed 10 people as a result of a fire on a merchant ship off the southern Philippine province of Basilan.
Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms and poorly maintained vessels, not to mention overcrowding and lack of safety rules, particularly in remote provinces.
In Dec, 1987, a passenger ferry sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst maritime disaster.
Source: Qatar News Agency