15 rescued from burning cargo launch off Basilan, Philippines

The Philippine Coast Guard and other local agencies have responded to a maritime incident wherein a fire ignited on a small craft off Basilan province in the southern part of the country on Tuesday, December 7.

The cargo launch Dayang 3, which was laden with dry goods and had an embarked crew of 15, was sailing from Zamboanga City to Tawi-Tawi province when the blaze ignited at around 02:30 local time.

Personnel from the coast guard, the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection, and other agencies immediately deployed to the incident site to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.

All 15 crew who were on the launch were safely rescued and later brought to shore. No injuries have been reported.

The ill-fated vessel later capsized, raising fears of a possible oil spill. The coast guard, however, has assured that no pollution was detected in the area.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the fire on Dayang 3 was caused by an electrical short.