Philippines ferry with 350 on board capsizes leaving 15 dead and dozens missing

"The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, an inter-island cargo and passenger ferry, was sailing to southern Jolo island in Sulu province from the port city of Zamboanga with 332 passengers and 27 crew members when it apparently encountered technical problems and sank after midnight, coast guard officials said. The ferry sank in good weather about a nautical mile (1.8km) from the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province, where many of the survivors were initially taken, coast guard commander Romel Dua told The Associated Press."

"There was a coast guard safety officer on board and he was the first to call and alert us to deploy rescue vessels, Dua said, adding that the safety officer survived. Coast guard and navy ships, along with a surveillance plane, an air force Black Hawk helicopter and fleets of fishing boats were carrying out search and rescue operations off Basilan, Dua said."

"The coast guard said 316 passengers had been rescued and at least 15 bodies found. The cause of the ferry sinking was not immediately clear and there will be an investigation, Dua said, adding that the coast guard cleared the ferry before it left the Zamboanga port and there was no sign of overloading. Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces."

A ferry, M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, sank after midnight while sailing from Zamboanga to Jolo with 332 passengers and 27 crew, leaving at least 15 dead and 28 missing. The vessel went down about a nautical mile from Baluk-baluk, Basilan, and survivors were taken to nearby ports. A coast guard safety officer onboard alerted authorities and survived. Coast guard, navy, air force and fishing boats conducted search and rescue, recovering 316 people and multiple bodies. The cause remains under investigation; the coast guard had cleared the vessel before departure and found no sign of overloading. Sea travel risks remain high across the archipelago.

Read at www.theguardian.com