In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a man pushes a boat beside a burning Philippine ferry M/V Esperanza Star as it caught fire at the waters off Panglao, Bohol province, central Philippines on June 18, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

MANILA - A ferry with around 120 people on board caught fire on Sunday morning off Bohol province in the central Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

The coast guard station in Cebu City told Xinhua that all the passengers and crew were rescued safely. The PCG in Manila later confirmed the information.

It took the Philippine Coast Guard over five hours to extinguish the fire which started at 4:30 am local time

The PCG spokesperson Armando Balilo said fire engulfed the M/V Esperanza Star around 4:30 am local time off Panglao island as it approached the Tagbilaran City port. Initially, Balilo said 55 to 65 passengers and crew were on the boat.

The PCG station in Bohol said in a social media post that the boat was carrying at least 120 passengers and crew when the fire broke out.

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It took the PCG over five hours to extinguish the fire. The PCG is looking into the cause of the fire.

Ferry accidents are common in the Philippines, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia.