At least 18 dead, 24 missing after ferry capsizes in Philippines
At least 18 people were killed, and 24 remain missing after an overnight ferry sank off the southwestern Philippines, authorities said Monday. The Philippine Coast Guard rescued 317 passengers from the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, a 620-ton roll-on, roll-off vessel traveling from Zamboanga City to Jolo Island. Rescue operations continued for the remaining missing passengers and crew.
The ferry issued a distress call around 1:50 a.m. local time, roughly four-and-a-half hours into its journey, as rough seas caused by a northeast monsoon affected the area. Officials said 332 passengers and 27 crew members were on board, within the vessel’s permitted capacity. A coast guard safety officer raised the alarm after the ship experienced technical problems, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving coast guard vessels, an Air Force Black Hawk helicopter, a surveillance plane, and local fishermen. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the sinking.
The Trisha Kerstin 3 is operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, headquartered in Zamboanga City. This marks the company’s second deadly incident on the same route in under three years. In March 2023, 29 people, including three children, died in a fire aboard the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 following an explosion near Baluk-Baluk Island, the same area where the Trisha Kerstin 3 sank. Ferry travel is a vital, low-cost form of transport across the Philippines’ more than 7,000 islands, but accidents are frequent due to overcrowding, poor maintenance, and severe weather. Previous incidents include a July 2023 capsizing on Laguna de Bay that killed 26 and a May 2022 ferry fire off Luzon’s east coast that killed seven.
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