Massive Fire On Philippines Ferry With 174 On Board, Several People Missing

A Philippine passenger ferry with at least 174 confirmed people on board caught fire Tuesday late night, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Three people, including a one-year-old girl, died and many other passengers were missing. Rescue operations were ongoing and an investigation by the PCG was forthcoming.

The three fatalities so far include one-year-old Chloe Labising, Danilo Gomez Sr., 60, and Orlando Heneral, age unknown. The ferry had left Cebu on Tuesday night with a southern destination in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

The vessel, named Lite Ferry 16, is part of a fleet of passenger ferries owned by Lite Shipping Corporation based in Cebu. The company acquired the vessel in 2015 and it appears to be a modified LCT (Landing Craft Tank) purchased from a Chinese company named Hainan Strait Shipping Company (HNSS).

The modifications include a car ramp at the bow and two partial decks of passenger accommodations below the bridge. The passenger area is far higher than the conventional LCT. With extensions, both decks become passenger promenades.

The fire reportedly started in the engine room at about 11:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. EDT). A passenger, Fred Castro, confirmed the time and said passengers began to jump into the water as the flames engulfed the ship. There was no Coast Guard response, but the fire was noticed at around 2 a.m. by a passing FastCat ferry (FastCat is another ferry service based in Alabang, Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila).

Allan Barredo was a passenger on the FastCat and an eyewitness to some of the rescue efforts. He said they were able to rescue 40 or 50 passengers, including children and senior citizens. His said his wife, Jean Grecia Barredo, held a rescued baby girl keeping her warm in towels and jackets and that they passed out any extra clothing to the rescued but wet people.

Barreda also said he saw people who did not jump from the Lite Ferry 16 huddled at its vehicle ramp awaiting rescue. He added, “The [FastCat] Captain maneuvered our boat close to the burning ship several times. Ropes were used as well as one rubber boat. We did not leave the burning ship until all were rescued.”

Barreda was clearly upset about how there was no help from the PCG in the first four hours of the incident. He said, "By the way, we are so ill-equipped. We have rescued passengers on board without blankets, shivering... No one from Coast Guard showed up, four hours…"

More rescue boats arrived about 5 a.m. and by sunrise, the Lite Ferry 16 was still on fire. According to latest reports, 23 people were still missing.