Three people were killed and over two hundred and forty plucked to safety in the southern Philippines Wednesday after a fire tore through a crowded ferry.
The blaze broke out before dawn as the Lite Ferry sixteen was cruising to Dapitan City from Cebu, prompting some of the terrified passengers to throw themselves overboard.
The Philippine Coast Guard said 245 people had so far been rescued, and three confirmed dead.
The boat’s official manifest listed just one hundred and seventy-two passengers and crew.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than seven thousand islands, is plagued by poor sea transport, with badly regulated boats and ships prone to overcrowding and accidents.
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