A wooden fishing boat exploded and caught fire off the coast of Naga City, Cebu Province in the Philippines, leading to the death of six Filipino crew members. Six others were saved from the ensuing chaos in the dark, among whom one is critically injured, as reported by the Philippine Coast Guard on Thursday, June 6.
This unfortunate event took place on F/B King Bryan on June 5, roughly five miles away from Naga City. Survivors, including the captain of the boat, were presently getting medical care but were too traumatized to shed light on the explosion’s cause. One crew member’s condition remains critical.
The wooden-hulled ship, equipped with bamboo outriggers, reportedly faced engine issues prior to the explosion, which set the boat ablaze. The crew was compelled to jump into the sea to escape the fire. A passing tugboat assisted in putting out the fire, while the Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue operation.
The Coast Guard released video footage and photos showing the boat consumed by fire and smoke as rescuers searched the waters under the cover of darkness. Images show Coast Guard personnel carrying injured crew members with burn injuries to safety.
The tragic incident involving F/B King Bryan underscores the frequency of marine accidents in the Philippines. The country, being an archipelago, is susceptible to such tragedies due to severe weather conditions, inadequate maintenance of boats, overcrowding, and inconsistent application of safety rules. In a notable incident from December 1987, an overcrowded ferry Dona Paz collided with a fuel tanker and sank, causing over 4,300 deaths in what is regarded as the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
The Coast Guard is still probing the exact cause of the explosion and subsequent fire on F/B King Bryan. The maritime sector in the Philippines faces ongoing struggles in upgrading safety standards to avert such incidents.
