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At least 18 people were killed, and 10 others remain unaccounted for after a ferry carrying more than 340 passengers sank early Monday off the southern Philippines, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
Search-and-rescue operations were continuing into the night, a coast guard spokeswoman said, noting that the confirmed passenger count had been revised to 344 after authorities determined that several people listed on the manifest had not boarded the vessel.
The ferry, MV Trisha Kerstin 3, sent out a distress signal at about 1:50 a.m., more than four hours after leaving Zamboanga City on Mindanao’s southwestern coast, the coast guard said.
Footage released by Basilan’s provincial government showed survivors being wrapped in blankets and placed on stretchers, while bodies were carried past in black body bags.
The 44-metre, three-deck ferry sank roughly five kilometres east of Baluk-Baluk Island, part of Basilan province.
Survivors were taken to hospitals in Isabela City and Lamitan, where emergency responders struggled to cope with the volume of patients arriving at once.
Rescue officials said some survivors reported rough sea conditions at the time of the sinking, though others contradicted that account, calling for a full investigation into what caused the vessel to capsize.
The coast guard said it had launched a marine casualty investigation to determine the cause of the accident, adding that initial checks showed the ferry was not overloaded.
Aleson Shipping Lines, which owns the vessel, said it was cooperating fully with authorities and working closely with rescue teams.
The Maritime Industry Authority also confirmed it had deployed an investigation team to examine the incident.
The tragedy occurred along a route where another Aleson ferry caught fire in 2023, killing 31 people.
