MANILA
\nAll 120 people onboard a ferry that caught fire at sea in central Philippines on Sunday have been rescued, the coast guard said.
\nThe M\/V Esperanza Star, which was carrying 65 passengers and 55 officers and crew members, caught fire while sailing from Siquijor island in the south to nearby Bohol island, the coast guard said.
\nCoast guard firefighters onboard another vessel used a water cannon and declared the fire out by around 0200 GMT, a spokesperson said. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
\nTwo coast guard vessels involved in firefighting and rescue operations were still in waters in the vicinity of the fire.
\nThe whereabouts and conditions of the rescued passengers and crew members were not disclosed.
\nThe Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships in use.
\nIn March, a ferry carrying about 250 people also caught fire in southern Philippines, leading to the deaths more than two dozen people including a six-month old baby.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MANILA All 120 people onboard a ferry that caught fire at sea in central Philippines on Sunday have been rescued, the coast guard said. The M\/V Esperanza Star, which was carrying 65 passengers and 55 officers and crew members, caught fire while sailing from Siquijor island in the south to nearby Bohol island, the coast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":338557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-338546","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n