Cruise ship fire: Panic on the open sea

A cruise ship en route from the island of Siquijor in the Philippines to the island of Bohol caught fire, as the incident sparked panic in the region, coast guard teams intervened.

It was reported that there were 65 passengers and 55 crew members on the M/V Esperanza Star cruise ship. As firefighters and first aid teams boarded the ship and intervened in the situation, attempts were being made to extinguish the flames with pressurized water from the fire extinguisher canister.

Although the participants in the firefighting efforts did not comment on the issue, information on the state of health of the passengers and crew was not shared either. Authorities announced that an investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

Maritime security and surveillance in the Philippines, which has more than 7,600 islands, is known to be very weak. In March, a similar fire broke out on the ship carrying 250 passengers in the south of the country, killing dozens of people.