Yahoo TV

STORY: Authorities have yet to identify the cause of the fire that started close to 11 p.m. on Wednesday (March 29) off the island of Basilan, when many of the passengers were asleep in air-conditioned cabins on the ferry's lower deck.

There were conflicting figures on the number of passengers on the ferry, which was not overloaded, but the coast guard said 230 people including 35 crew were rescued.

The coast guard earlier said most were sleeping at that time of the fire, adding "there was chaos."

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, has a poor record for maritime safety, with vessels often overcrowded and many aging ships still in use.