MANILA, Feb 26: Rescuers plucked 275 people from a passenger ferry ablaze off the coast of the Philippines' capital Manila early on Friday (Thursday night in Pakistan), but over 600 more were still trapped on board.

One passenger died in the blaze on the Superferry 14, carrying almost 900 people, which was on fire at the mouth of Manila Bay, off Corregidor island. Radio reports quoting the Filipino coastguard and navy said 200 passengers and crew were rescued by a passing freighter, the Fortune Express, while 75 others were taken on board by navy rescuers.

US Marine vessels taking part in joint annual war games at the nearby coastal town of Ternate were helping six Filipino navy and coastguard vessels in the rescue, they said.

The fire broke out on board around 1am (10pm PST on Thursday), some two hours after the vessel left the port of Manila, the coastguard said. The crew was trying to put out the blaze, they added.

Navy spokesmen said 717 passengers and 153 crew were on board the ferry, which was en route to Bacolod in the central Philippines. One passenger raised the alarm with a mobile telephone call to the coastguard office in Manila, they added. The cause of the fire was not known. The ferry was built to carry a maximum of 1,672 people, the navy said. -AFP