At Least 18 Dead After Passenger Ferry Sinks Off Southern Philippines

At least 18 people have died after a ferry carrying more than 350 passengers and crew sank in waters off the southern Philippines. The Philippine Coast Guard said 317 people from the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 have been rescued, while at least 24 others remain missing.

The cargo and passenger ferry was travelling from the southern island of Mindanao to Jolo island when it sent a distress call at 1:50 am local time on January 26.

Officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the sinking. Survivors told authorities the sea was rough at the time of the incident, Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab said in a televised interview cited by AFP.

Footage released by the disaster management office in the municipality of Bongao showed people wearing life jackets floating in the water as they waited to be rescued. Another video shared by Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman showed survivors wrapped in blankets as they came ashore from a rescue vessel.

Emergency services have struggled to cope with the number of survivors. Basilan emergency responder Ronalyn Perez told AFP that facilities were short-staffed as large numbers of patients arrived. Another rescuer said officials had received more than 100 calls from relatives seeking information.

Kursiv also reports that at least seven people have been killed and more than 80 others are missing after a landslide struck Indonesia’s West Java province.

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