The number of people killed in a fire that ripped through a ferry in the southern Philippines has risen to 31, the local governor said Thursday, after more bodies were found inside the burned-out wreckage. 

"We initially have 13 deaths recorded, then we have 18 new deaths, so it's now 31 deaths," Basilan Governor Jim Salliman told AFP.

230 passengers were evacuated after a ferry in the southern Philippines caught fire, and at least 12 people died, initial police reports revealed.

When the fire started late on Wednesday, the Lady Mary Joy 3 was traveling from Zamboanga City on the island of Mindanao to Jolo Island in the province of Sulu, according to disaster officer Nixon Alonzo.

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

As per initial reports, fourteen people were injured and seven were still missing.

Basilan Governor Jim Salliman said, as quoted by AFP, that there could be more people missing because the number of passengers on the vessel exceeded the 205 listed in the ship's manifest.

The fire's origin was not immediately apparent.

Salliman said survivors were transported to Zamboanga and Basilan where burn victims received medical attention.

When its workers in smaller boats rescued passengers from the ominous waters, the coast guard's photos showed one of their vessels splashing water on the flaming ferry.

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.