MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A ferry carrying regarding 250 passengers and crew caught fire in the southern Philippines and 31 people drowned or died in the blaze and were later found, a provincial governor said Thursday.
Many of those rescued had jumped from the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 in a panic at the height of the fire and were picked up from the water by the Coast Guard, the Navy, another ferry and local fishermen, said Gov. Jim Hataman of the southern island province of Basilan. . The search and rescue operation was continuing on Thursday, with at least seven passengers missing.
The burned-out ferry was towed to the Basilan coast, where the coast guard and other authorities later found 18 bodies in an economic area of the passenger cabin, Hataman said. The ship’s registry was still ongoing.
“These victims perished on board due to the fire,” Hataman said. The governor said an investigation was underway and the discovery suggested there were additional travelers not listed in the ship’s documents.
The ferry was traveling to the town of Jolo in Sulu province from the port city of Zamboanga when it caught fire near Basilan around midnight, it said.
At least 23 passengers were injured and were taken to hospitals.
“Some of the passengers woke up due to the commotion caused by the fire. Some jumped ship,” Hataman told The Associated Press by phone.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms, poor ship maintenance, overloading and irregular compliance with safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
More than 4,300 people died in December 1987 when the ferry Dona Paz sank following colliding with a tanker, the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.