At least 18 people are reported to have died and 24 others are missing
On Monday, Jan. 26, the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was traveling from the port in Zamboanga City to Jolo Island in the province of Sulu, around 800 miles south of the capital Manila, when it “submerged” at around 1:50 a.m. local time, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed in a statement on Facebook.
“The vessel was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members when the maritime incident occurred approximately 2.75 nautical miles northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan,” they added.
While it was initially reported that 15 people had died, the death toll has since risen to at least 18 with 24 missing, according to the BBC, The Daily Tribune, and Manila Bulletin, citing the Philippine Coast Guard.
As of 2:23 p.m. local time, 317 people had been rescued, according to The Daily Tribune.
The Coast Guard’s statement added that a “distress call” was received from the PCG sea marshal onboard and a PCG vessel was immediately deployed from Zamboanga City.
Commercial vessels, the armed forces in the Philippines, government agencies and local government units are also assisting with the operation.
The ferry is also used as a cargo ship, per the BBC.
In a post shared by Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman on Facebook, survivors could be seen being helped off a rescue boat, while another was on a stretcher.
“Our condolences to all those who died in this tragedy. For those who have not yet been found, we will make sure to continue to help find them,” Hataman wrote.
PCG spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab told the Manila Bulletin that emergency responders were still carrying out an aerial search and rescue operation.
“Based on the testimony of the survivors, the sea condition was rough due to tall waves. However, as with other incidents, we will conduct a maritime casualty investigation to determine the true cause of this incident,” Cayabyab said.