Philippines: ferry carrying over 350 people sinks, at least 15 dead

The accident occurred after midnight, near the island of Basilan. The MV Trisha Kerstin 3, which had departed from Zamboanga and was headed for Jolo, reportedly experienced technical problems. Investigations into the causes are ongoing, while at least 28 people are missing. Maritime disasters are common in the country due to frequent storms and poor maintenance.

Manila (AsiaNews) - A ferry carrying more than 350 people sank near the island of Basilan in the southern Philippines. Commander Romel Dua, operations officer of the Mindanao Southwestern District Coast Guard, said rescuers saved at least 316 passengers and found 15 bodies; at least 28 people are still missing.

The Coast Guard reports that the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, a cargo and passenger ferry that travels between the islands, was en route from the port city of Zamboanga to the southern island of Jolo, Sulu province, with 332 passengers and 27 crew members on board when it experienced technical problems and sank after midnight.

Dua reported that the ferry sank in good weather about one nautical mile from the village of Baluk-baluk Island, Basilan province, where many of the survivors were taken. Authorities are still searching for the missing persons and search and rescue operations are still ongoing. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that the ship had 332 passengers and 27 crew members on board.

‘A coast guard aircraft is also on its way to assist in the operations,’ Romel Dua said. ‘The Navy and Air Force have also sent their troops.’ An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the tragic accident. Dua said the coastguard inspected the ferry before it left the port of Zamboanga and that there were no signs of overloading.

Basilan province mayor Arsina Laja Kahing-Nanoh wrote on social media that there were at least ‘eight confirmed casualties’ from the ferry sinking. She shared a video showing coastguard officers rescuing some people and carrying bodies from the water onto a boat. In another video, Kahing-Nanoh said that rough seas and darkness were hampering search and rescue operations.

Ronalyn Perez, a rescuer from Basilan, told AFP news agency that ‘at least 138 people’ had been rescued so far. ‘The real problem here is the number of patients arriving. We don't have enough staff at the moment,’ she said.

Mujiv Hataman, governor of Basilan, posted videos on Facebook taken at the port of Isabela in Mindanao. The footage shows survivors disembarking from boats, some wrapped in thermal blankets and others carried on stretchers.

Frequent storms, poor maintenance, overcrowding and inconsistent enforcement of regulations make maritime accidents a common occurrence in the Philippines. Despite this, many people rely on poorly regulated and inexpensive boats and ships to travel between the country's more than 7,000 islands.

In 2023, a fire on a ferry in the southern Philippines killed more than 30 people. Then, at least two Filipino sailors died and 15 others were rescued on 23 January 2026 when a Singapore-flagged cargo ship sank while travelling from the southern island of Mindanao to China. Four other sailors are still missing. Furthermore, the Dona Paz ferry sank in December 1987 after colliding with an oil tanker in the central Philippines. It was the worst peacetime maritime disaster in history, killing more than 4,300 people.