45 Rescued After Ship Catches Fire off Cebu

[Brief] A total of 45 passengers and crew members were rescued after a passenger ship caught fire near Binongkalan Point in Cebu, Philippines on Thursday night. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that the ferry Filipinas Dinagat caught fire about five nautical miles east of Binongkalan Point at 2245 hours local time on Thursday. There were no casualties. 

The passenger ship was totally engulfed in fire when the coast guard arrived, and all the passengers were evacuated in a motor boat to the nearest port for further assistance. A medical team of the provincial coast guard provided assistance to the evacuees upon their arrival at Danao Port in Cebu.

The vessel's master, Captain Joel Villanueva, remained at the scene with three other crewmembers in order to provide assistance.

Filipinas Dinagat had left Cebu City at around 2100 hours Thursday and was bound for Palompon, Leyte when the incident occurred. The PCG is conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.

The coast guard has deployed a patrol vessel to monitor the wreck and ensure safety of navigation at the scene.