A fire broke out on board Philippines-flagged 64mx11m passenger ferry MV Lite Ferry 28 (MMSI 548787300) on Sunday, September 2nd, while the ship was in the vicinity of Taloot Port Argao, Cebu, the Philippine Coast Guard has reported.
The ferry was en route to Cebu Port from Tagbiliran, Bohol with 97 passengers, 27 crew and four rolling cargoes on board when the incident occurred.
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said that the blaze was quickly put out and the ferry was towed to shore at 12:45 on September 2nd, only an hour after the fire was first reported.
According to Marina, the blaze started in the ferry’s engine room.
The passengers and crew of the ferry were evacuated to the landing craft tank Miami. All passengers and crew were safely disembarked at Argao Port. The fire was put under control by the coast guard on Sunday afternoon. The ferry was later towed to Taloot Wharf, Argao, Cebu for safety and further investigation. The vessel is operated by Cebu-based Lite Shipping Corporation.