VESSEL PASSED SAFETY INSPECTIONS

According to the vessel’s manifest, the ferry was carrying 117 passengers and 17 crew members and had a maximum capacity of 330 people. Cayabyab said the vessel had passed safety inspections.

It was also carrying five motorcycles, an electric vehicle, a forklift, a pickup truck and mostly cargo goods, she said.

The Coast Guard will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the fire, Cayabyab said. Asked whether authorities were looking at possible sabotage or a terrorist attack, she said it was too early to draw conclusions and that the investigation was ongoing.

The vessel’s owner, Atienza Inter-Island Ferries…

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