INVESTIGATORS from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fire Protection have established that electrical fault caused the deadly fire that razed a passenger vessel off Basilan last week, a PCG official said yesterday.
Commodore Rejard Marfe, commander of the PCG Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, also clarified that the fire left 28 people dead, not 29 as officials earlier reported.
Marfe said findings about the cause of fire was established during separate investigations conducted by a PCG’s Marine Casualty Investigation team and probers from BFP national headquarters.
“Faulty electrical wiring,” said Marfe when asked what caused the fire, which he said started at an air-conditioned room of MV Lady Mary Joy 3.
The ill-fated vessel was on its way to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City on Wednesday last week when the fire broke out. The vessel was then near Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan. The ship’s captain later grounded the vessel at the island.
Quoting statements of some of the survivors, PCG officials earlier said that the fire started at one of the air-conditioned cabins of the vessel.
Marfe and other PCG officials earlier said 29 died in the fire — 11 drowned after jumping into the water after the fire broke out and 18 were found inside the burnt vessel.
Yesterday, Marfe said the official death toll is 28 based on investigation conducted by personnel from the PNP Crime of the Scene Office (SOCO).
“According to the SOCO, there were only 17 cadavers found inside the vessel. They are the experts in forensics so we’re going to follow them. So our total casualties is 28,” said Marfe.
Marfe said the PCG reported that 18 were found inside the vessel because one of the charred cadavers was carrying what appeared to be a child.
Marfe said SOCO investigators were not able to establish what the cadaver was carrying “but the forensics experts said it’s not human remains.”
Marfe said 249 individuals were aboard the vessel at that time of the accident, including 35 crew members, four PCG marshals and 25 soldiers.
Of the 249, Marfe said, 244 have been accounted — 28 dead and 216 survivors. “So we still have five missing,” said Marfe.
