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Hong Kong CNN — At least 29 people were killed Wednesday night after an inter-island ferry caught fire in the southern Philippines, with many of the 250 passengers jumping overboard into dark waters trying to escape the blaze, authorities said.
A Philippine ferry traveling in southern waters caught fire, killing at least 31 people of the roughly 250 passengers onboard.
Investigators have yet to identify the cause of the fire that started at about 11pm on Wednesday
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many ageing ships in use.
A fire on an inter-island passenger ferry in the southern Philippines has left at least 31 people dead, the coast guard said on Thursday. Among those dead is a six-month-old baby. Authorities are trying to identify the cause of the fire that started close to 11 pm on Wednesday off the island of Basilan. When the fire started, most of the passengers were asleep in air-conditioned cabins on the ferry's lower deck.