A WOODEN-hulled vessel was destroyed in a fire while moored at a private wharf in Zamboanga City, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Superintendent Leo Pioquinto, BFP’s Zamboanga City Fire District marshal, said the fire that broke out around 5:41 p.m. Friday, May 8, completely destroyed M/L Alsamer owned by Akmad Hamja.
Pioquinto said investigation showed the M/L Alsamer was preparing to depart Taha Wharf in Baliwasan village, Zamboanga City, when it suddenly caught fire.
The vessel, which was carrying containers of fuel, was supposed to sail to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, when the incident happened. All five crew members of ML Alsamer were unscathed.
The Coast Guard Station Zamboanga, through its floating asset and in coordination with BRP Tubbataha (MRRV-4401) and ZCFD firemen swiftly responded to the incident.
The responding teams immediately conducted fire suppression operations and safety measures to prevent the spread of fire to nearby vessels and structures.
The fire was placed under control around 11:41 p.m. Friday and was declared fire out around 1:31 a.m. Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection Unit was placed on standby at the incident site, with oil spill response equipment readily available for immediate deployment in the event of an oil spill or marine environmental contamination arising from the fire incident. (SunStar Zamboanga)