A ferry travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province caught fire on Wednesday night, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 people. The incident occurred in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Mutamad in Basilan. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that 230 passengers were rescued, while nine others were injured. The fire is believed to have started in the air-conditioned cabins, prompting some passengers to jump overboard. Survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan for treatment of burns. Basilan Governor Jim Salliman warned that there may be more people missing, as the number of passengers on board exceeded the 205 listed in the ship’s manifest.
Photographs shared by the coastguard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 ship being sprayed with water as rescued passengers were brought to shore. The coastguard has said it will assist in an investigation and safety assessment, as well as check for any signs of an oil spill. The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships still in use. In May, at least seven people died after a fire in a high-speed Philippine ferry carrying 134 people.
Commodore Rejard Marfe, coastguard chief in southern Mindanao, told DZMM radio station that nine people were injured in the fire on Wednesday night. Nixon Alonzo, chief of the Basilan disaster agency, said that some passengers jumped into the sea when the fire broke out. “Some of the fatalities were recovered from the vessel, and some drowned,” he said. “There were signs of burns in some of the victims.”
It is not clear how the fire started. Governor Salliman said that there could be more people missing because the number of passengers on the vessel exceeded the 205 listed in the ship’s manifest. “Probably there are passengers who didn’t register in the manifest,” he said. Survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan where the injured received treatment for burns.
The Philippines has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships still in use. The country is an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands. In May, at least seven people died after a fire in a high-speed Philippine ferry carrying 134 people.
The coastguard has said that it will assist in an investigation and safety assessment, as well as check for any signs of an oil spill. The MV Lady Mary Joy 3 was travelling from Zamboanga City on Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu province when the fire broke out, prompting passengers to jump overboard, an emergency worker told reporters.
Photographs shared by the coastguard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 ship being sprayed with water, while rescued passengers were brought to shore. The coastguard has said that it will assist in an investigation and safety assessment, as well as check for any signs of an oil spill.
The incident highlights the need for improved maritime safety in the Philippines. The country’s authorities must take steps to ensure that vessels are not overcrowded and that ageing ships are replaced with newer, safer models. This will help to prevent tragedies like the one that occurred off the coast of Basilan from happening again in the future.