MANILA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday said that five people sustained burns after their motorboat caught fire in the waters off Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines.
The coast guard said the accident occurred at about 8 p.m. local time on Thursday. The boat, carrying eight people, 100 liters of gasoline, and various essential goods, caught fire while sailing to Basilan, an island province south of the city.
Initial investigation showed that a short electrical circuit caused the fire.
It took firefighters more than three hours to put out the fire, the coast guard said, adding that the three other passengers were safe, while those injured were taken to a local hospital. ■
