Panel set up to probe ferry fire

President Gloria Arroyo called for investigation when she visited yesterday the survivors of the 680-tonner MV Maria Carmela which caught fire on Thursday that left 30 of its more than 300 passengers dead.

Survivors told Arroyo how they managed to escape death from the fire that occurred at 7.30am. Their testimonies centred on three things: there were not enough life jackets on board; there were no life boats and the rescuing naval team came an hour late.

Arroyo was also astounded by stories of heroism from those who helped others before they saved themselves from the deadly flames of the ill-fated ship.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez formed a joint task force composed of representatives from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Philippine Ports Authority, and Philippine Coast Guard, a master mariner, chief engineer and local police officer to look into the cause of the fire that destroyed MV Carmela.

A team of investigators was sent to Lucena's port in southern Luzon, to determine the culpability of the Montenegro Shipping Lines in the tragedy, Vice Admiral Ruben Lista, Philippines Coast Guard chief, said.

But Lieutenant Commander Elpidio Guino, Coast Guard district chief, said investigators could not start their work yet because the ill-fated ship was still smouldering.

Investigators depended on the testimonies of the survivors, many of whom remained in nearby hospitals and the regional office of the social welfare department.

"I held the long hair of a woman who was slipping out of the ship without a life jacket. She survived. I gave a mother and child two life jackets when I saw them panicking and were about to jump out of the ship," Salvacion Furran, a woman who is suffering from cancer but has saved a total of five people.

"I shoved several life savers and pieces of plywood from the ship, down to the sea where the passengers stayed afloat after jumping out of the ship," Henry Leyco said.

"There was no one in charge of giving out life jackets," Allan Antonio, a former seaman, said. He cried when he recalled that his wife was giving life jackets to many passengers when she and her two-year-old daughter were engulfed by fire.

"I had to destroy several doors to prevent people from being trapped," said Antonio, adding that many of those who perished went down with the ship. "I assisted in putting out the fire, but I was dismayed that the water hose was full of holes."

Many of the survivors said fire came from the sack of dried coconut flesh which were stored at the cargo area, near the engine room.

Lista said the fire could have been ignited by a cigarette thrown away by a passenger; or cooking oil from a nearby kitchen, or from the coconut meat which ignited by itself when it overheated.

"These were the versions and the statements that we got from the survivors of the ship. We are looking at these angles," Lista added.

Fifty per cent of those killed were children while 24 people remained missing. Ninety people who were hospitalised have a "50-50" chance of survival, Lista predicted.

There were 158 survivors who sustained minor injuries and were released from the hospitals where they were brought for medication. About 90 more remained hospitalised, sources said.

Eugene Aguilar, Montenegro Lines spokesman, denied that his company violated shipping regulations. He said, however, that his company would cooperate in the ongoing investigation.