Boat explosion and fire at sea kill 6 Filipino fishermen, 6 others rescued | national news

Lina PortmanJune 6, 2024

1 1 minute read

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — An explosion and fire on a wooden fishing boat at sea killed six Filipino crew members while six others were rescued in the nighttime darkness, guard officials said Thursday. ribs.

Survivors, including F/B King Bryan's captain, were still being treated in hospital or were too traumatized to tell investigators what triggered Wednesday night's explosion about 8 kilometers (5 miles) off the coast of the city of Naga, in the province of Cebu, on the coast. » said guard officials.

One of the injured crew members was in critical condition and was hospitalized, the Coast Guard said.

Videos and photos released by the Coast Guard showed flames and smoke billowing from the fishing boat as rescuers scanned the waters in the darkness. Burned crew members are transported to safety by Coast Guard personnel.

The wooden-hulled boat, with bamboo outriggers, apparently had engine problems before an explosion and fire ripped through the vessel, injuring crew members and forcing others to jump overboard in panic. A passing tugboat helped extinguish the fire and a Coast Guard search and rescue operation was launched, Coast Guard officials said.

Accidents at sea are common in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms, poorly maintained boats, overcrowding and uneven enforcement of safety rules.

In December 1987, an overcrowded ferry, the Dona Paz, sank after colliding with an oil tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the world's worst peacetime maritime disaster, considered by some to be the Titanic of Asia.