SIX persons died when a fishing boat caught fire in the waters off City of Naga, Cebu around 8 p.m. Wednesday, killing six of the 12 crew members, all from Masbate.
Petty Officer First Class Joel Baring, commander of the Coast Guard detachment in the City of Naga, said the bodies of six crew members of the King Bryan fishing boat have already been retrieved.
The fatalities were identified as Boyboy Bacolod, 29; Ariel Codilla, 37; Jonathan Sullano, 34; Onjing Conel, 41; Dominic Cleret, 18; and Joseph Sullano.
The remaining six crew members were rescued and identified as Alvin Quinones, 21; John Cloud Canones, 20; Alan Aviles, 18; Michael Bacas, 34; Miguel Cortes, 32; and boat captain Mark Anthony Sullano.
According to Baring, they learned from boat captain Mark Anthony Sullano that the secondary engine exploded, causing a fire.
Mark said they were fixing the engine when it exploded.
Mark said they were traveling to Daanbantayan in northern Cebu after leaving Masbate on June 2 when the incident took place.
His two cousins, Joseph and Jonathan, died instantly after being hit by the explosion.
The boat captain also said that they were carrying six drums of fuel and three LPG tanks at the time of the incident.
