March 30 (UPI) — At least 29 people died after an inter-island ferry caught fire near the Philippines‘ Basilan province, the Philippine Coast Guard said Thursday.
The Coast Guard said as of 5 a.m. EDT that 160 passengers survived the blaze and the 36 crew members of the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 were safe.
A fire broke out following an explosion on the ferry which was sailing southwest from Zamboanga to Jojo, Sulu provinces, at about 11 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
Basilian province Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh said about 35 passengers jumped ship near her island after an explosion on the ferry. The incident happened off the coast of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan, a province about 580 miles south of the Philippines capital of Manila.
“Some of the passengers had burns on their bodies,” Kahing-Nanoh told CNN.
The Coast Guard said that 11 bodies were recovered from the water while 18 were found on the ship.
