MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Six Filipino crew members were killed and six others were rescued after an explosion and fire on a wooden fishing boat in the middle of the night, the coast guard said Thursday.
Survivors, including F/B skipper King Bryan, were being treated at a hospital or too traumatized to talk to investigators about what caused the explosion Wednesday when they were about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Naga City. , in the province of Cebu, according to Coast Guard officials.
One of the injured crew members was in critical condition in a hospital, they said.
Videos and images provided by the coast guard showed flames and smoke around the fishing boat as rescuers searched the water in the dark. The coast guard was transporting crew members with burns to safety.
The wooden-hulled fishing boat, which had bamboo frames for rigging, appeared to have had engine trouble before an explosion occurred and flames engulfed the vessel, injuring crew members and causing others to jump into the water in panic. A passing tugboat helped put out the flames and the coast guard launched a search and rescue operation.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms, inadequate ship maintenance, overloading and inconsistent compliance with safety regulations.
More than 4,300 people died in December 1987 when an overloaded ferry, the Dona Paz, sank after colliding with an oil tanker, in the worst peacetime maritime disaster, which some describe as Asia’s Titanic.
