Camilla Jessen
Philippines ferry sinks overnight, killing at least 15.
Rescue crews are searching waters off the southern Philippines after a passenger ferry sank overnight, killing at least 15 people. Hundreds of others were pulled from the sea in a large-scale emergency response involving military and civilian vessels.
Authorities are now investigating what caused the ship to go down.
Nighttime tragedy
The inter-island ferry M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was traveling from the port city of Zamboanga to Jolo island in Sulu province when it encountered trouble shortly after midnight, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The vessel was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members when it sank about a nautical mile from the village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province. Coast guard commander Romel Dua said the weather was calm at the time of the incident.
A coast guard safety officer was on board and was able to alert authorities, triggering an immediate rescue response.
Survivors’ accounts
Passengers described chaos as the ferry suddenly tilted and began taking on water in total darkness.
One survivor, Mohamad Khan, said he and his wife were thrown into the sea while she was holding their six-month-old baby. Although the couple was rescued, the infant did not survive.
“My wife lost hold of our baby and all of us got separated at sea,” Khan told a volunteer rescuer.
His account echoed others who said people were hurled into the water with little warning.
Rescue operation
Coast guard and navy ships, fishing boats, a surveillance plane, and an air force Black Hawk helicopter were deployed to search for survivors, Dua said.
Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman said survivors and victims were taken to the provincial capital, Isabela, where ambulances were waiting at the pier.
“I’m receiving 37 people here in the pier. Unfortunately two are dead,” Hataman said in a phone interview.
By Thursday, officials said at least 316 people had been rescued and 15 bodies recovered.
Investigation ahead
The cause of the sinking was not immediately clear. Dua said the ferry had passed a coast guard inspection before departure and showed no signs of being overloaded.
An official investigation has been launched to determine what went wrong.
Maritime accidents are frequent in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. Poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and weak enforcement of safety rules have contributed to repeated disasters, particularly in remote areas.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in December 1987, when the ferry Doña Paz collided with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people.
Sources: AFP, Philippine Coast Guard, Express
