Three people died in a passenger ferry fire Wednesday morning, August 28, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced. Passing ships and fishing boats rescued 245 people from the ferry which burned in choppy waters in the southern Philippines. At least 3 people perished, including a little girl, coast guard officials revealed.
Survivors described how they feared being murdered by either the waves or fire while waiting for hours to be rescued as flames engulfed much of the ship, MV Lite Ferry 16, off the city of Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte province.
According to coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo, the fire had started in the engine room. Despite the damage, the vessel stayed afloat about 3 km (1.8 mi) off Dapitan, where it was heading out of Santander, central Cebu province.
The victims are a 1-year-old child and two male travelers in their 60s.
When it caught fire, Lite Ferry 16 was carrying a total of seven 10-wheeler trucks, nine 4-wheeled vehicles, 13 six-wheeler vehicles, and five motorbikes.