Six Filipino crew members lost their lives in a fire following an explosion on a wooden fishing boat off the coast of Naga City, Cebu Province in the Philippines. The incident, which unfolded in the dead of night, also left one crew member in critical condition while six others were rescued, according to a Thursday report from the Philippine Coast Guard.
The unfortunate event took place on June 5 on the F/B King Bryan, located around five miles away from Naga City. The survivors, including the boat’s captain, are currently under medical care but are too traumatized to shed light on what caused the explosion. A crew member continues to fight for his life in critical condition.
The boat, a wooden-hulled vessel fitted with bamboo outriggers, had allegedly been facing engine issues prior to the explosion that set the boat ablaze. The crew members had no choice but to jump into the sea to escape the inferno. A nearby tugboat assisted in dousing the flames as the Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission.
The Coast Guard released video footage and images showing the boat being consumed by the fire and smoke as rescue teams searched the surrounding waters in the pitch-black night. The pictures show coast guard personnel carrying crew members, suffering from burn injuries, to safety.
The incident involving the F/B King Bryan serves as a grim reminder of the recurring maritime accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago that often witnesses such disasters due to harsh weather, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of safety regulations. The sinking of the overcrowded ferry Dona Paz in December 1987, following a collision with a fuel tanker, led to more than 4,300 fatalities in what is regarded as the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
The cause of the explosion and subsequent fire on the F/B King Bryan is still under investigation by the Coast Guard. The maritime sector in the Philippines continues to grapple with the challenge of enhancing safety standards to avert such tragic incidents in the future.
