AT LEAST 134 passengers of the ill-fated M/V Mama Mary, which caught fire while in the middle of the sea, had already arrived in Leyte after being rescued on Sunday, June 26, 2022.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Krysta Bergantin of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG Cebu) said another 29 rescued passengers and ship crew are set to be transported at 3 p.m. Monday, June 27, to Hilongos on board the M/V Lady of Smile.

The passenger ship en route to Hilongos from Ubay, Bohol, with 157 passengers and eight crew members on board, caught fire two hours after leaving Ubay port at 11 a.m. Sunday, leaving one person dead.

The fatality was identified as Adolfo Rañola, 53, of Barangay Poblacion, Trinidad town, Bohol.

Bergantin said they are now conducting a marine casualty investigation to determine the cause of the fire. (PAC, TPT)