Fire on passenger ferry in Philippines leaves at least 5 dead, dozens missing
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dozens → leave → 5
Bad weather and big waves were challenging rescuers, coast guard says
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guard → challenge → rescuers
Rescuers struggled on Thursday to get into a passenger ferry that had caught fire and burned overnight off the western Philippines, leaving five people dead and 86 missing, officials said.
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officials → struggle → people
By nightfall, search and rescue operations were halted but were to resume in the morning.
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operations → halt → morning
So far, 43 people have been rescued, coast guard spokeswoman Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said.
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Cayabyab → rescue → ?
The ferry MV June Aster was afloat but listing off the town of Coron after the fire that started on Wednesday evening.
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that → list → evening
Smoke still rose from the charred vessel by midday Thursday.
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Smoke → rise → midday
Cayabyab said authorities were still trying to confirm reports that two foreigners were onboard, checking the names on the manifest and co-ordinating with local government officials and the shipping company on the identities of the fatalities, survivors and missing.
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foreigners → say → fatalities
According to the manifest, 134 people were onboard, 117 of them passengers and 17 crew.
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117 → accord → them
The vessel had a capacity to carry 306 passengers and 27 crew.
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vessel → have → passengers
The 53-metre-long ferry had sailed from the capital of Manila and was near its destination of Coron in Palawan province when the fire was reported by the shipping company around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the coast guard said.
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guard → sail → Wednesday
Rescuers have been trying to enter the ship but have encountered difficulty because of thick smoke.
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Rescuers → try → smoke
"Our objective now is to enter the ship, to check the situation so we can assess the situation," Cayabyab said.
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Cayabyab → enter → situation
Later on Thursday evening, search and rescue operations were suspended and will resume in the morning, she added.
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she → suspend → morning
Cayabyab said it was unclear what caused the fire, which one survivor said may have begun in the cargo hold, and the coast guard was co-ordinating with the shipping company and maritime authorities to get more details.
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guard → say → details
The survivor reported "a loud explosion, then followed by smoke and fire," Cayabyab added.
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Cayabyab → report → smoke
"As per the testimony of the survivor, everything happened quickly; within seconds the fire spread.
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fire → happen → seconds
"
Rescuers face poor weather conditions
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Rescuers → face → conditions
A coast guard ship and high-speed response boats were joined in the search and rescue by a military vessel and other government boats, volunteers and fishermen.
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ship → join → vessel
The coast guard made a radio broadcast to ships nearby to be on the lookout for passengers of the ferry.
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guard → make → ferry
It has also co-ordinated with coastal villages in case some passengers drifted to the shore.
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passengers → co → shore
Images of the Wednesday night rescue efforts showed coast guard personnel tossing life jackets to survivors as the ferry burned in the background.
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ferry → show → background
Passengers were helped into smaller boats taking them to shallow water, and body bags were laid out at what looked like a port.
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what → help → port
Bad weather and big waves challenged rescuers.
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weather → challenge → rescuers
The ferry was around 7.4 kilometres off the village of Turda when it sent a distress signal but strong sea currents had dragged it to a distance of 14.2 kilometers off Turda.
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currents → send → Turda
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Coron is a popular tourist destination known for clear blue waters, limestone cliffs and rock formations.
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Coron → miss → waters
Ferries are frequently used for transport in the Philippine archipelago.
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Ferries → use → archipelago
Sea accidents are not uncommon due to storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
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accidents → maintain → provinces
In 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
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ferry → sink → disaster
The Aporia
