15 dead after ferry carrying 300 passengers sinks
At least 15 people died when a ferry carrying more than 350 passengers and crew sank in the south of the Philippines.
Search teams rescued 316 people aboard MV Trisha Kerstin 3, but at least 28 people remain missing.
The ship, which is both a cargo and passenger ferry, issued a distress call at 1:50 local time on Monday (17:50 GMT Sunday) as it headed from the country’s southern mainland, Mindanao, towards the island of Jolo further southwest.
Authorities announced that they were investigating the cause of the sinking. The Philippines, an archipelagic nation of 7,100 islands, has a long history of maritime disasters involving inter-island ferries.
“According to some of the survivors, the waters in the area were rough at that time,” Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab said in a televised interview, AFP reported. he said.
In the video posted on Facebook by Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman, survivors can be seen getting off the rescue boat, wrapped in blankets.
Rescue teams were overwhelmed by the influx of survivors, Basilan emergency responder Ronalyn Perez told AFP.
“The real challenge is the number of patients coming in. We are understaffed right now,” Perez said.
Past ferry accidents in the Philippines were caused by inadequate maintenance and overloading. Despite this, many Filipinos still travel by ferry due to its low costs.
In May 2023, 28 people died in a fire on a passenger ferry. Among the dead were three children, including a six-month-old baby.
The previous year, at least seven people lost their lives in a fire that broke out on a fast ferry carrying 134 people.
