All passengers, crew of burned Batangas ferry accounted for, says PCG

The Philippine Coast Guard announced on Saturday that all 85 people on board an inter-island ferry that caught fire at its port destination south of Manila have been successfully rescued and the search effort has been suspended.

On the M/V Asia Philippines, which was carrying 47 passengers and 38 crew members, the remaining two people who were missing turned out to have boarded a separate boat. According to coast guard officials, they were were thought to be on the cargo and passenger ship that caught fire on Friday as it approached the port in the province of Batangas.

According to one of the passengers who was rescued, the ferry, which originated from Calapan city in the province of Oriental Mindoro, was more than a kilometer (about a mile) from the Batangas port when smoke and flames appeared from the second deck, causing many passengers to jump into the water in fear. They were rescued from the water by tugboats, local bancas, and coast guard officials.
The ferry was then hauled to an anchorage location while the origin of the fire was being investigated, according to the coast guard, who also received assistance from a ship in putting out the fire. The 16 vehicles that were transported aboard the ferry were not damaged, according to inspectors.

One victim was sent to a hospital with injuries as a result of the swift rescue of all the casualties due to the ferry’s close proximity to the port, according to officials.

Sea accidents are not are in the Philippine archipelago, due to frequent storms, poorly maintained boats, overcrowding, and inconsistent enforcement of safety standards, particularly in outlying areas.

The world’s biggest maritime tragedy to occur during a time of peace occurred in December 1987 when the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a petroleum tanker. More than 4,300 people perished.