AUTHORITIES rescued five fishermen whose boat was caught on fire and sank in the vicinity waters of Cuyo, Palawan.

In a statement, the Philippine Coast Guard said two of the rescued fishermen sustained first-degree burns due to the incident, which happened around 4 a.m. in the waters off Imalaguan Island in Barangay San Carlos on Monday, May 15, 2023.

They were fishermen of Frabelle Fishing Corporation who left the Navotas Fish Port on March 2 for a fishing expedition in the Sulu Sea.

The crew said they heard an explosion from the auxiliary engine of the vessel before the fire started.

The vessel totally sank around 9:40 a.m.

Investigation is still ongoing. (SunStar Philippines)