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The coast guard reported that all 120 people onboard a Philippine ferry that caught fire at sea on Sunday were safely rescued and the fire was put out.

The M/V Esperanza Star, which was carrying 65 passengers and 55 crew members from Siquijor province in the central Philippines to Bohol province, caught fire at dawn, according to the coast guard.

The coast guard said that two vessels had been sent out to aid in rescue efforts and in putting out the flames, which had been raging for more than five hours.

The coast guard's photos and videos show black smoke and flames coming from two decks at one end of the ship. A fishing boat and one other vessel can be seen close, as the coast guard personnel on another vessel used a water cannon to put out the fire.

“All those who were onboard the ferry are safe,” Joy Gumatay, coast guard spokesperson, said in a statement without providing further details.

She noted that an investigation was ongoing and that the survivors had been taken to the port city of Tagbilaran in the province of Bohol.

The Philippine Coast Guard and fishermen helped save 195 passengers and 35 crew members in March after their ferry caught fire off Baluk-Baluk Island in the province of Basilan.

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is afflicted by poor sea transport, especially with its poorly regulated ferries that are inclined to overcrowding and accidents.