Ferry sinks in southern Philippines, killing at least 18 but rescuing more than 300

Manila, Philippines — A ferry with more than 350 people on board sank early Monday near an island in the southern Philippines, killing at least 18 people, officials said. Rescuers saved hundreds more, while a fleet of coast guard and naval vessels searched for those still missing.

Coast Guard officials said the cargo and passenger ferry apparently had technical problems and sank after midnight. The steel-hulled ship tilted sharply to one side and took on water, throwing people into the sea into the darkness, according to a rescued passenger who lost her six-month-old baby.

“My wife lost our baby and we were all separated at sea,” a distraught Mohamad Khan told a volunteer rescuer, Gamar Alih, who posted a video of Khan’s comments on Facebook.

He said he and his wife, who was holding their son, were rescued, but the baby drowned. His wife cried at his side as Khan told her of his ordeal.

The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was sailing in good weather from the port city of Zamboanga to the southern island of Jolo, in the province of Sulu, with 332 passengers and 27 crew. It sank about a nautical mile off the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province, coast guard commander Romel Dua told The News.

“There were two coast guard security officers on board and they were the first to call us and alert us to send rescue ships,” Dua said, adding that the two security officers survived.

Rescuers saved at least 316 passengers and crew members recovered 18 bodies, authorities said. Coast guard and navy ships, along with a surveillance plane, an air force Black Hawk helicopter and fleets of fishing boats carried out search and rescue operations for about two dozen people believed missing off Basilan, Dua said.

The cause of the ferry sinking was not immediately clear and there will be an investigation, Dua said. The coast guard had cleared the ferry before it left Zamboanga port and there were no signs of overloading, he said.

Local media reported that up to 15 passengers who appeared on the ship’s manifest decided not to board at the last minute and were refunded their tickets. If confirmed, that would reduce the number of missing people, Dua said.

Alih, a Zamboanga City councilor, told The AP Press that he volunteered to help in the search and rescue because some of his relatives were among the passengers on the ferry. They all survived.

Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman said several passengers and two bodies were taken to Isabela, the provincial capital, where he and ambulances were waiting.

Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago due to frequent storms, vessels in poor condition, overcrowding and inconsistent enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.

In December 1987, the Dona Paz ferry sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.