At least 120 people have been 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 has reported. According to preliminary information, 55 crew members and 65 passengers were on board the boat, which at the time of the event was heading to the city of Tagbilaran.
The fire broke out when the ship MV Esperanza Star was sailing through the waters off the island of Panglao. According to the coast guard, all the individuals on board were rescued alive by rescue boats and by fishermen passing through the area. Subsequently, they have been transferred to the city of Tagbilaran to receive medical attention, food and water.
In videos and images shared by rescuers on social networks, it is possible to see the ship on fire and a thick wall of smoke, while rescue boats try to contain the fire. "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 has detailed.
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 with cargo and passenger ships are not unusual in the Philippines, whose poor shipping makes it easy for accidents and overcrowding on its ferries.
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.
