Ferry carrying 359 passengers sinks in Philippines, 15 dead

A ferry carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members sank in the southern Philippine province of Basilan. The bodies of 15 people have been recovered so far in the accident that occurred early Monday (January 26). At least 43 are missing. Al Jazeera reports.
In addition, coast guard divers have so far rescued 138 people alive. Basilan Mayor Arcina Laza Kathing Nanoh and the Basilan branch of the Philippine Coast Guard gave this information.
According to administrative sources, the ferry named ‘Trisha Kirstin 3’ set off from Zamboanga City, Basilan, to Jolo Island in neighboring Mindanao province early this morning local time; but it sank shortly after starting its journey.
The exact cause of the accident is not yet known. Coast guard and disaster management officials said they were focusing on rescuing the drowned passengers. “We have been able to rescue 138 people alive so far. 18 of them are in hospital,” disaster management spokeswoman Ronalin Perez told AFP.
“We are in contact with the Mindanao provincial government to expedite the rescue operation,” Ronalin said. “We are currently facing a shortage of personnel. We are working with the Mindanao Disaster Management Office to expedite the rescue operation. The Mindanao provincial government is in charge of the overall coordination of the operation.” Cargo accidents are not uncommon in the Philippines, a nation of 116 million people. Earlier, in 2023, a ferry caught fire in the southern Philippines, killing 30 people.