01/26/2026, 07:2901/26/2026, 09:24
At least 24 people are still missing at sea after a ferry sank in the Philippines. According to the Coast Guard, the ship M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 had 359 people on board – 332 passengers and 27 crew members. The accident occurred at night (local time) on the way from the city of Zamboanga on the island of Mindanao to the island of Jolo.
Shipwrecked people being rescued by other boats.Image: x
The cause of the accident is still unclear
A spokesman for the local coast guard spoke of at least 18 dead and 317 rescued. The search is still underway for two dozen missing people. How the tragedy occurred near Basilan province, 900 kilometers south of the capital Manila, is currently being investigated. According to eyewitnesses, the sea was calm at the time.
There have been no reports of possible foreign passengers. Jolo is considered very dangerous due to the presence of Islamist terrorist groups and is not a tourist destination.
The ship’s operator, Aleson Shipping Lines, expressed its deep condolences to the victims’ families and asked for patience as the search effort continued.
Traveling by water is part of everyday life in the Philippines. The archipelago consists of more than 7,000 islands. Accidents often occur due to inadequate safety standards and overcrowding.
In 2023, almost 30 people died in a fire on a passenger ferry in the south of the country. The worst peacetime maritime disaster occurred in Philippine waters in 1987, when a ferry collided with a tanker. More than 4,000 people died at that time. (dab/sda/dpa)