Some 275 people were rescued from a burning Philippine ferry today, but 602 passengers and crew were still on board the stricken vessel as rescue ships raced to the mouth of Manila Bay, the Coast Guard said.
A radio station said one person had died and three hurt. The Coast Guard said it was checking the report.
The ferry was travelling from the capital to Bacolod in the central Philippines when a fire broke out in the kitchen, Coast Guard chief Mr Arthur Gosingan said.
He said a cargo ship, the Fortune Express, rescued 200 people near Corregidor Island. A radio station reported another 75 people were rescued by a navy vessel.
The manifest of the Super Ferry 14 showed 717 adult passengers, seven infants and 153 crew were on board, more than the total of 717 people initially reported by a Coast Guard spokesman.
"The fire started in the galley," Mr Gosingan said. "The ship tried to return to port in Manila but they could no longer control the fire, so the officers declared 'abandon ship'."
At least four Coast Guard vessels were speeding through the darkness to the scene, he said.