10 injured as boat catches fire off Zamboanga City
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Ten people, including a town mayor were injured when their boat caught fire in the waters off Zamboanga City on Wednesday.
Mayor Arsina Kahing Nanoh of Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan was among those injured in the incident that occurred at past 4 p.m. in the coastal waters of Barangay Baliwasan.
The boat was ferrying Nanoh and her companions to their hometown when it caught fire near the Tres Marias Wharf, according to district fire marshal Supt. Leo Pioquinto.
One of Nanoh’s police escorts, S/Sgt. Munar Salawie, said the boat was around 10 meters away from the wharf when one of its engines caught fire.
“We secured the mayor and the children. We jumped overboard for our safety,” Salawie said.
The Bureau of Fire Protection has yet to determine the cause of the fire, which destroyed P15 million worth of property.
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