At least 6 injured in cargo ship fire at Manila wharf
Officials in the Philippines say a fire and a powerful blast have ripped through a small cargo ship docked to refuel in the Philippine capital of Manila
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A fire and a powerful blast ripped through a small cargo ship docked to refuel in the Philippine capital of Manila on Saturday, injuring at least six people and igniting a blaze in a nearby riverside slum that gutted dozens of shanties, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what triggered the fire, which raged for about seven hours aboard the MV Titan 8 and forced its crew to jump in panic into the Pasig River. At least two crewmen who were on the vessel remained unaccounted for, officials said.
The vessel, which was carrying fuel drums, had docked at a wharf in Manila’s Tondo slum district to refuel prior to a domestic trip to the western Palawan province. Explosions rocked the vessel in the mid-morning followed by a fire, injuring crewmembers from the Titan and another vessel docked at the wharf, the coast guard said, citing witnesses.
Smoldering debris and fuel drums from the Titan floated in the river and sparked a fire in a nearby slum that affected about 40 structures, mostly shanties, the coast guard said. Coast guard personnel on boats with water cannons helped extinguish the blaze.