Philippines ferry sinks near Basilan, 18 dead, 300 rescued
Manila, Philippines — A ferry with more than 350 people on board sank early Monday near an island in the southern Philippines, killing at least 18 people, officials said. Rescuers saved hundreds more, while a fleet of coast guard and naval ships searched for those still missing.
Coast guard officials said the cargo and passenger ferry apparently encountered technical problems and sank after midnight. The steel-hulled vessel abruptly tilted to one side and took on water, hurling people into the sea in the darkness, according to a rescued passenger who lost his 6-month-old baby.
“My wife lost hold of our baby and all of us got separated at sea,” a distraught Mohamad Khan told a volunteer rescuer, Gamar Alih, who posted a video of Khan’s remarks on Facebook.
He said he and his wife, who had been holding thier child, were rescued, but the baby drowned. His wife wept by his side as Khan recounted their ordeal.
Passengers rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard are brought to safety after a ferry carrying over 350 passengers capsized in waters off Baluk-Baluk Island,Basilan,Philippines,Jan. 26, 2025. Philippine Coast Guard SW Mindanao/Anadolu/Getty
The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was sailing in good weather from the port city of Zamboanga to southern Jolo island in Sulu province with 332 passengers and 27 crew members. It sank about a nautical mile from the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province,coast guard Commander Romel Dua told The Associated Press.
“There were two coast guard safety officers on board and they were the first to call and alert us to deploy rescue vessels,” Dua said,adding that the two safety marshals survived.
Rescuers saved at least 316 passengers and crewmembers retrieved 18 bodies,officials said.Coast guard and navy ships, along with a surveillance plane, an air force Black Hawk helicopter and fleets of fishing boats carried out search and rescue operations for about two dozen people believed missing off Basilan, Dua said.
The cause of the ferry sinking was not immediately clear and there will be an examination, Dua said.The coast guard had cleared the ferry before it left the Zamboanga port, and there was