Ship carrying more than 100 people in the Philippines caught fire, at least 7 people died
The scene of a ship on fire in the Philippines on May 23 – Video: YOUTUBE
According to CNN Philippines, the ship Mercraft 2 caught fire while carrying more than 100 passengers and crew members. The ship left Polilio Island at about 5am on May 23 to arrive at Real port, Quezon province on the main island of Luzon.
AFP news agency said the ship was carrying a total of 134 passengers and crew members, including 124 passengers. The ship can accommodate up to 186 people.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Armand Balilo said 120 people have been rescued so far. At least 7 people were killed.
The ship Mercraft 2 caught fire – Photo: CNN PHILIPPINES
Pictures shared by Philippine media showed the ship burning in the distance, and passengers clinging to floating objects as they tried to swim to safety.
The ship had a problem while it was about 7km from Real port. The fire broke out at about 6:30 a.m. on May 23 (local time).
Search and rescue work is still going on. It is not clear what caused this problem.
Mercraft Shipping is the company that owns the aforementioned ship. According to Inquirer.net, in December 2017, another ship belonging to this company capsized in Philippine waters while carrying more than 250 passengers, killing five passengers.
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