(Eagle News) — The number of people injured in a fire that engulfed a vessel off Quezon has risen to 29.
The Philippine Coast Guard gave the update, as it clarified that the number of people on board MV Mercraft 2 when it caught fire in waters off Real on Monday, May 23, was 157, not 134.
Of this number, the PCG said apart from the 29 injured, 121 were uninjured, while seven died due to the incident.
The PCG is so far conducting a probe into the fire incident, and has said the inquiry is expected to be completed in a week.
According to the Coast Guard, the operators of the vessel may face criminal charges and a franchise suspension if the probe showed there was negligence on their part.
Polillo Island Mayor Cristina Bosque has urged a suspension of the company’s operations, noting that a similar incident involving Mercraft took place in 2017.
