Passenger vessel catches fire in Cebu town shipyard; no one hurt

CEBU CITY, Philippines—A passenger vessel caught fire on Thursday afternoon while undergoing repair at a shipyard in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion town, about 13 kilometers north of this city.

The fire broke out at the engine room of MV Melvin Jules of the Sta. Clara Shipping about 4:20 p.m. at Nagasaka Shipyard, said Insp. Josephus Alburo, fire marshal of Consolacion town.

No one was hurt as the firefighters were able to control the fire after 20 minutes before it could spread to other parts of the vessel, Alburo said.

He added it was put out about 6 p.m.

Alburo said probers learned that someone was welding above the engine room shortly before the fire started.

Fire broke out when the embers fell into the crude oil placed inside the container that was left open during the cleanup at the engine room.

MV Melvin Jules, a roll-off roll-on vessel, served the route Masbate-Pio Duran in Albay before it was drydocked at Nagasaka Shipyard for a month now.

The drydocking was supposed to last for two months. SM