All passengers, crew rescued from Bohol ferry fire

All the passengers and crewmen of a ferry that caught  fire early Sunday morning off Bohol's Tagbilaran City were rescued, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported.

The Bohol PDRRMO said the MV Esperanza Star was on its way to dock in Tagbilaran after sailing from Lazi Port in Siquijor when the Philippine Coast Guard received a distress call at 3:55 a.m.

“According to the initial investigation, the fire started at the entrance of the engine room. It was already close to the dock, the Tagbilaran Port was already visible from the ferry,” Bohol PDRRMO head Anthony Damalerio said in a report by GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak Nikko Sereno on “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

The PDRRMO said all 72 passengers, 60 crew members, and the ferry's captain were safe and were brought to Tagbilaran. A number of them have arrived in Cebu as of Sunday afternoon.

Nearby fishermen were the first to respond to the incident, followed by the Philippine Coast Guard, which is now investigating the matter.

“The Coast Guard is now looking at the possibility of an oil spill which is now under investigation,” said Damalerio.

Kho Shipping Lines, which operates the ferry, has since provided another vessel to ply the same route. It also thanked all those who provided assistance. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA Integrated News