A passenger ferry disaster in the southern Philippines has claimed at least 15 lives, with 316 survivors rescued as search and rescue teams worked on Monday to account for those still missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
MV Trisha Kerstin 3 went down at 1.50am local time (7am NZT) on Monday while making its way from Zamboanga to Jolo in Sulu province. The vessel was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew at the time of the accident, within its authorised passenger capacity of 352. Coast Guard Commander Romel Dua of the Southern Mindanao District confirmed that 28 people remain missing.
Speaking by phone, Dua said relatively calm conditions in the search area had helped speed up operations, with military aircraft and vessels deployed alongside coast guard teams. An investigation into the cause of the accident was also underway, he said.
Mujiv Hataman, governor of the island province of Basilan, posted footage from Mindanao's Isabela port to Facebook, showing survivors being helped ashore, some wrapped in thermal blankets and others carried on stretchers.
Speaking to DZBB radio, Hataman said most survivors were doing well, though a number of elderly passengers required emergency medical care. He added that authorities were still cross-checking details against the passenger manifest while rescue efforts continued.
Ferry accidents are a recurring tragedy across the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7000 islands with a patchy record on maritime safety, claiming scores of lives every year.
- Reuters
