In the early hours of Monday, January 26th, the Ro-Pax ferry MV Trisha Kerstin 3 (1995-built, IMO 9125516) foundered in waters off the Philippine province of Basilan while on a scheduled voyage from Zamboanga City toward Jolo Island in Sulu.
According to Philippine Coast Guard records, the vessel, listed as carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members within its certified capacity, sent a distress call at about 01:50 local time, roughly 4 hours after getting underway from Zamboanga. Shortly thereafter, the ship went down near Baluk-Baluk Island in relatively calm seas.
Over the course of the ensuing search and rescue operation, Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force assets, alongside local craft, recovered more than 310 individuals from the water.
At least 18 people have been confirmed dead and two dozen remain unaccounted for as efforts to locate them continued. Bodies and survivors were taken to ports on Basilan for treatment and further care, with the local medical response strained by the sudden influx of casualties.
Local authorities documented survivors arriving at Isabela City port on Basilan, some wrapped in blankets and others evacuated on stretchers, while officials worked to reconcile the passenger manifest with those brought ashore. The provincial governor noted that elderly passengers required urgent medical attention amid the response.
Coast Guard command reported that the ferry had been cleared for departure from Zamboanga and that preliminary assessments did not indicate overloading. An official marine casualty investigation was to be conducted to determine the precise cause of the sinking.
Maritime incidents of this severity are not uncommon in the archipelagic Philippines, where inter-island ferry services are frequent and regulatory, maintenance and safety challenges persist across the extensive island network.