73 Rescued and 9 Still Missing as Ferry Catches Fire
9 still missing and one injured as the MV Asia Philippines caught fire late on Friday afternoon off to Batangas port, The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) said.
According to a coast guard statement, 73 of the 82 passengers and crew members on the Starlite Shipping vessel MV Asia Philippines had been rescued while the ship burnt one nautical mile (1.85 kilometers) off Batangas Anchorage Area.
Based on the in itial report of The Manila Times that a 44-year-old lady who was carried to a local hospital with an unidentified injury was among the survivors, according to the statement, which also stated that nine other persons were still missing.
The victims’ names have not been made public. The Philippine coast guard has sent out two search and rescue boats.
Around 3 p.m., the ship had departed from the port of Calapan on the neighboring island of Mindoro. The coast guard reported that the vessel had 48 passengers, 34 crew members, and 16 cars on board and was headed for Batangas Port. The arrival was scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
According to the PCG, a fire was reported at 5:58 p.m. It further stated that the ferry is permitted to transport 402 passengers. 80 percent of the second deck and 90 percent of the third deck were completely destroyed by fire during the initial inquiry.
The report mentioned that the ship appeared to have tilted as a result of the collision. The ship was towed to the Batangas Anchorage area on Friday at 10:20 p.m. and arrived there 25 minutes later.
Only about 16,000 gallons of automobile diesel oil are present in the MV Asia Philippines’ fuel tank, claims Starlite Ferries Inc. The fire’s origin was not immediately known.
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