BACOLOD CITY – Twenty-three persons, including the captain, were rescued after their fishing vessel caught fire and capsized in the sea in Sitio Lintub, Barangay Nagbo-alao, Basay, Negros Oriental on Wednesday, March 20.
A FISHING vessel catches fire in Barangay Nagbo-alao, Basay, Negros Oriental on Wednesday, March 20. (Photo courtesy of Negros Oriental police)
Police Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental police, said they were on their way to a fishing venture when the vessel caught fire at around 10:20 a.m.
Polinar said that the Maritime Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) responded after they received a distress call.
He said the occupants were unharmed but they were taken to a hospital for assessment.
Polinar said that they have yet to issue a statement about the incident. “They are uncooperative,” Polinar said.
He said they are coordinating with the BFP to determine the cause of the fire and the Maritime Police for further investigation of the incident.