5 injured after motorbanca catches fire off Zamboanga City

Five people were injured after a motorbanca caught fire in the waters off Zamboanga City while on its way to Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan, on Thursday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Friday.

The PCG said the incident occurred around 7:50 p.m. on Thursday in the waters off Barangay Rio Hondo, Zamboanga City.

The boat, carrying eight passengers, 100 liters of gasoline, and various essential goods, experienced a short circuit that triggered the incident.

''When the BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) declared fire out at around 11:30 p.m., the Marine Environmental Protection Force-Southwestern Mindanao and Coast Guard Sub-Station Rio Hondo inspected the vicinity waters for possible traces of oil spill and yielded a negative result,'' the PCG said.

The PCG said the injured victims — one with third-degree burns, two with second-degree burns, and two with minor burns — were brought to the Zamboanga City Medical Center for immediate medical treatment.

Other crew members are in good physical condition. — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News