MANILA (Web Desk) – A passenger ferry carrying over 350 people capsized near the southern Philippine province of Basilan, killing at least 15 passengers and leaving 28 others missing.
The vessel, MV Trisha Kristen 3, had departed from the port city of Zamboanga and was en route to the southern Sulu island of Jolo when the accident occurred.
According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the ferry carried 332 passengers and 27 crew members.
The ship sent a distress signal at 1:50 am, roughly four hours after leaving Zamboanga.
It sank about 2 kilometers off the village of Balik-Balik in Basilan under seemingly calm weather, and several survivors were initially rescued on site.
Southern Mindanao District Coast Guard Commander Rommel Dua said that 316 people have been rescued so far. While 15 deaths have been confirmed, 28 passengers remain unaccounted for.
A Coast Guard aircraft, along with Navy and Air Force assets, have been deployed to assist in the rescue operation. Survivors requiring medical attention were transferred to a hospital in Isabela.
Medical staff member Ronalin Perez highlighted that the large number of patients arriving is straining the limited available personnel.
Basilan Governor Hadjiman Hataman shared videos on Facebook showing rescued passengers being brought ashore, some wrapped in thermal blankets, and others transported on stretchers. He added that most survivors are in stable condition, although several elderly passengers required immediate medical care.
Commander Dua noted that the cause of the sinking is not yet known, and investigations are underway. The Coast Guard had cleared the vessel for departure, and there were no apparent signs of overloading.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippines, an archipelago nation, often due to severe weather, poorly maintained vessels, overcapacity, and weak enforcement of safety regulations. The deadliest ferry disaster in Philippine history occurred in December 1987, when MV Doña Paz collided with an oil tanker, killing over 4,300 people in what remains the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
