A ferry carrying more than 350 people sank near an island in the southern Philippines early Monday, leaving at least 13 people dead while dozens remain unaccounted for, reported Associated Press, citing officials. Rescuers managed to save at least 244 passengers after the vessel went down shortly after midnight.
According to coast guard officials, the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3—an inter-island cargo and passenger ferry—was travelling from the port city of Zamboanga to Jolo island in Sulu province. The vessel was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members when it reportedly developed technical problems and sank at sea, reported Associated Press.
The ferry went down in fair weather conditions around a nautical mile, or nearly two kilometres, from the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province. Many survivors were initially taken to Basilan, coast guard commander Romel Dua told Associated Press.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately, involving coast guard and navy vessels, a surveillance aircraft, an air force Black Hawk helicopter and several fishing boats operating in the waters off Basilan, Dua said, as reported Associated Press.
Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman said that several survivors and two bodies were transported to Isabela, the provincial capital, where emergency services were on standby. “I’m receiving 37 people here in the pier. Unfortunately two are dead,” Hataman told Associated Press over the phone from the Isabela pier.
The coast guard later confirmed that 244 people had been rescued so far, while the bodies of 13 victims had been recovered, reported Associated Press. Officials said the exact cause of the sinking remains unclear and an investigation will be conducted. Dua added that the ferry had been inspected before departure and showed no signs of overloading.
Maritime accidents are relatively common in the Philippines due to frequent storms, ageing or poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations, particularly in remote areas, reported Associated Press.
One of the country’s deadliest sea disasters occurred in December 1987, when the ferry Dona Paz collided with a fuel tanker in central Philippines waters, killing more than 4,300 people in what remains the world’s worst peacetime maritime tragedy.