At least 12 dead, 7 missing as Philippines ferry catches fire

Manila, Mar 30 (EFE).- At least 12 people have died, three of them minors, and seven were still missing Thursday after a fire on a passenger ferry in Basilan, in the southern Philippines, local authorities told EFE.

The MV Lady Mary III ship was carrying 205 people when a fire of unknown origin spread aboard Wednesday night off the coast of Baluk Baluk Island in Mindanao.

Asia Bergami, the Basilan Emergency Center coordinator, said 126 passengers were rescued and taken to the island of Basilan.

Seven passengers were still missing, and the situation of the remaining 60 crew members remained unknown.

The ship covered the route from the city of Zamboanga to Zulu, and it is unknown if it could have been stranded on the Basilan coast, while investigations continued on whether the ferry spilled oil into the sea as a result of the fire, the coast guard said on social media. EFE

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