Death toll in Philippine ferry blaze rises to 28 FMTNews FMTWorld
A coast guard personnel plucks a survivor from the waters at Basilan, southern Philippines.
Authorities have yet to identify the cause of the fire that started close to 11pm local time last night off the island of Basilan, when many of the passengers were asleep in air-conditioned cabins on the ferry’s lower deck. There were conflicting figures on the number of passengers on the ferry, which was not overloaded, but the coast guard said 230 people including 35 crew were rescued.Firefighters brought the blaze under control early on Thursday.“I thought I was dreaming but when I opened my eyes, it was dark and we were surrounded by smoke,” Mina Nani, 46, told DZRH.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships still in use.
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