31 people died as a result of a boat fire in the Philippines, while 230 people were saved alive thanks to the rescue operation. Basilan Governor Jim Suleiman said 31 bodies had been recovered, 18 of which were found in an air-conditioned cabin.
Disaster officer Nixon Alonzo said the Lady Mary Joy 3 was en route from Zamboanga City in Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu Province when the boat caught fire late Wednesday night, killing passengers, according to the AFP news agency. Forced to jump.
The fire engulfed the boat off Balok Island in Bisalan province, destroying it, but thanks to a timely rescue operation by the Philippine Coast Guard and rescue workers, including fishermen, 195 passengers and 35 crew members were rescued.
Basilan Governor Jim Suleiman said 31 bodies had been recovered, 18 of which were found in an air-conditioned cabin.
Images released by the Coast Guard showed a ship spraying water on the burning boat as crews in small boats pulled people out of the deep water.
Firefighter Jason Ahejon, who was among the passengers, said people were terrified as the fire and smoke engulfed the boat.
Seeing the intensity of the fire, some people jumped from the plane before donning life jackets.
Ahijon, 36, said that the fire was beyond my imagination, the fire was spreading very fast.
Ahejon said he and other Coast Guard officers helped the other passengers get off the boat safely.
Commodore Richard Murphy of the Philippine Coast Guard told AFP that the captain started running the boat as the fire spread.
At least three children, including a six-month-old baby, are among the dead, Jim Suleiman said.
It is not clear how many people are still missing in the crash, but Jim Solomon said the number of passengers on board exceeded the capacity of the 205-passenger plane.
Murphy said the vessel was carrying four Coast Guard members and an undisclosed number of military personnel, but they were not registered.
“We are still trying to get data from Coast Guard Station Zamboanga to determine if people are still missing,” he said.
Coast Guard investigators are coming to examine the boat and determine the cause of the fire, Murphy said.
Sulaiman said the survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan, where the burn victims were treated.
The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of more than 7,000 islands, and due to poor marine transportation, boat accidents often occur there.
#killed #boat #fire #Philippines
2024-08-26 14:14:08
