Cargo Ship Catches Fire Off the Philippines

A fire that broke out Thursday aboard the cargo ship Ken off the Philippines has been extinguished, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The vessel, owned by Pherwin Shipping Corp., reportedly caught fire near Castilla Anchorage Area in Sorsogon at around 11 a.m. local time.

The Coast Guard said it coordinated with the Philippine Navy and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for joint search and rescue and firefighting operations.

According to the eight crewmembers on board, the fire started in the vessel's mess hall. No injuries were reported. 

The BFP declared fire out at around 3 p.m.

The vessel is said to have 2,300 liters of diesel oil and approximately 400 liters of lube oil on board, though a Coast Guard inspection of the area found no traces of oil spill.