Seven dead and more than 120 rescued from water after ferry fire in Philippines

Smoke billows from the M/V Mercraft 2 ferry as it is towed to an island off the town of Real, Quezon province, Philippines (Philippine Coast Guard via AP Photo)

A ferry carrying more than 130 people has caught fire in the north-eastern Philippines, killing seven passengers and forcing many survivors to jump into the sea where they were rescued by other vessels.

The fire rapidly spread from the engine room to the upper passenger deck of the M/V Mercraft 2 while it was approaching a seaport in Real, town administrator Filomena Portales said.