At least 12 people died in the boat fire
At least 12 people have died and 230 have been rescued after a boat caught fire in the southern Philippines, authorities said Thursday.
Lady Mary Joy 3 2023 was en route from Zamboanga City in Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu Province when it caught fire on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
AFP
“Twelve bodies were found (…) among them three children, including a six-month-old baby,” Jim Sulliman, governor of Basilan province, where the boat went, told AFP.
The Lady Mary Joy 3 was en route from Zamboanga City in Mindanao Island to Jolo Island in Sulu Province when it caught fire late Wednesday, prompting passengers to jump ship, disaster manager Nixon Alonso said.
Rescuers, including the Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen, rescued 195 passengers and 35 crew members off the island of Baluk-Paluk in Basilan province. 14 people were injured and seven are still missing.
Jim Sulliman said the number of missing passengers could be higher because the number of passengers on board was higher than the 205 on the log. “There are probably unregistered passengers. The origin of the fire is unclear. The survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan where the injured were treated for burns,” he said.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, suffers from a poor maritime transport system, with poorly regulated boats often overloaded and prone to accidents.
AFP
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