MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine coast guard elements are conducting rescue efforts and trying to extinguish flames Sunday after a Philippine ferry carrying 120 passengers and crew members caught fire, officials said.
The M/V Esperanza Star caught fire at dawn as it was en route from Siquijor province to Bohol province in the central Philippines, the coast guard said, but has not so far revealed how many people have been rescued from the ship or if anyone was killed. .
Photos and videos released by the Philippine coast guard show flames and black smoke billowing from two decks at one end of the ferry as coast guard personnel aboard another vessel used a water cannon to try to put out the fire. Nearby could be seen a fishing boat and another vessel.
None of the 65 passengers and 55 crew members could be seen aboard the burning ferry according to photos and videos released by the coast guard.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms, dilapidated vessels, overcrowding and irregular enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
In March, a fire broke out overnight on a ferry carrying about 250 people, killing at least 31 passengers and crew members off the southern island province of Basilan, according to the coast guard.
In December 1987, the ferry Doña Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
