A boat in the southern Philippines caught fire, killing at least 31 persons, including passengers and crew, and their bodies were found days later. Governor Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan said on Thursday that many of those rescued had leaped off the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 in fear at the height of the fire on Wednesday and were snatched from the water by the coastguard, navy, another ferry, and local fisherman. At least seven people were still missing, and the search and rescue operation was ongoing.
Once the boat caught fire, it was dragged to the shore of Basilan, where further dead were found in the budget portion of the passenger cabin by coastguard and other officials, according to Hataman. Because of the fire, “these individuals died on board,” Hataman added. The governor has stated that an inquiry has been launched since the find may indicate the presence of passengers who were not included on the ship’s manifest. He claimed the fire started on the ferry at midnight near the coast of Basilan as it was travelling from Zamboanga, in the south, to Jolo town, in the province of Sulu. There were at least 23 people hurt, and they were all taken to hospitals. Several of the travelers were awakened by the ruckus of the fire. Hataman said over the phone to The Associated Press that some people had “jumped the ship.” Images released by the coast guard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 being doused with water as passengers were evacuated and brought to safety on the shore. The number of passengers on board was more than the 205 recorded in the ship’s manifest, and Governor Hataman has warned that more individuals may be missing. “There may be people on board who didn’t show up on the manifest,” he said. According to Hataman, those who survived were transported to Zamboanga and Basilan, where they got burn treatment.
The cause of the fire was mysterious.
Several passengers reportedly ran into the water as the fire started, as reported by Nixon Alonzo, head of the Basilan disaster department. He explained that some of the dead were found on board, while others had drowned. Some of the victims appeared to have suffered burns. The coast guard has promised to look for evidence of an oil leak and help with an inquiry. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a terrible reputation for marine safety due to overcrowding and the continued usage of outdated boats. A high-speed Filipino ferry carrying 134 people caught fire in May, killing at least seven people.
