Dramatic moment passengers throw themselves into sea after ferry bursts into flames
THIS is the terrifying moment when passengers were forced to jump for their lives into the sea after their ferry burst into flames.
Passengers were seen jumping for their lives
Dramatic pictures show the passengers leaping overboard the two-story vessel to escape the deadly black smoke rising into the air.
The incredible images were taken after the ferry MV Wonderful Stars became engulfed by an inferno at the central Philippines port city of Ormoc this morning.
While some passengers flung themselves into the sea, others clambered down the roof deck to escape the flames.
Six passengers in the VIP accommodation section were forced to squeeze through windows after the smoke trapped them in their rooms.
The incident happened aboard a two-storey ferry
More than 500 passengers were on board when the fire started
It is not yet known what caused the fire
Firefighters at the scene spent several hours tackling the blaze, which was made worse by the fuel on board.
A total of 12 fire engines also attended the dramatic fire.
All 544 passengers on board, including 17 children, survived the fire and only two members of crew suffered bruises and cuts, officials said.
The injured crew, named in local reports as Jake Rondel Guiconor and Daryll Lee Bentoy, were injured as they tried to contain the fire.
A coast guard spokesman said the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.