Tragedy at sea: A screencap from a video showing rescuers assisting survivors of the sunken ‘MV Trisha Kerstin 3’ at a port in Isabela, Basilan province. — Governor Mujiv Hataman/AFP
A ferry with more than 350 people onboard sank in choppy seas off the southern Philippines, killing at least 18 and leaving 24 still missing, the coast guard said.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 issued a distress signal at around 1.50am local time yesterday, a bit over four hours after it departed the Port of Zamboanga City on the southwestern tip of Mindanao, the coast guard said in a statement.
Video released by the governor of Basilan province showed barefoot survivors being wrapped in blankets and placed on gurneys, while victims of the sinking were carried past in body bags.
The triple-decker vessel went down on nearly the same route where 31 people died in 2023 after a fire aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry.
Both ships were owned by locally based Aleson Shipping Lines.
At least 317 people have so far been rescued, according to the most recent tally by the Philippine Coast Guard, with 18 confirmed dead and 24 still unaccounted for amid an ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
Sheryl Balondo, a rescuer in Isabela City, one of two municipalities where survivors were being taken, said their office had received more than 100 phone calls from concerned family members.
“There’s a tug in our hearts whenever we pick up a call. Their voices sounded worried,” she said.
“What we can only say is that, as of now, we don’t have the final list (of names), because the search and retrieval operation is ongoing.”
The 44m ferry went down about 5km east of Baluk-Baluk Island, part of the Basilan province chain of islands off the Zamboanga peninsula.
“Based on the account of some survivors, the waters in the area were rough at the time,” Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab said in a televised interview.
Basilan emergency responder Ronalyn Perez said that rescuers were struggling to handle the influx of survivors.
“The challenge really is the number of patients that are coming in. We are short-staffed at the moment,” Perez said, adding that at least 18 had been brought to one local hospital.
Video released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed survivors being plucked from the water and receiving medical attention.
Some could be heard shouting for help in the dark in a live video on Facebook.
“We cannot say for now the reason of the sinking, but we were instructed to conduct a marine casualty investigation to determine the cause,” said Romel Dua, a coast guard commander from southern Mindanao.
“As of now, we are focused on the rescue.”
Survivors were being brought to the coast guard stations in Zamboanga and Isabela City, he added.
In its statement, the coast guard said the ferry had not been overloaded.
“Our thoughts and hearts are with everyone who was on board,” Aleson Shipping Lines said in a statement, adding they were “working tirelessly” in close coordination with the coast guard. — AFP
