Fifteen dead, 28 missing as ferry carrying 350 sinks off Basilan

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January 26, 2026 | 8:35am

This is a developing story.

MANILA, Philippines (3rd update, 11:10 a.m.) — At least 15 people are dead with 28 missing after a roll-on-roll-off vessel sank on its way to Jolo, Sulu on Monday, January 26, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The MV Trisha Kerstin 3, passenger-cargo RoRo vessel, issued a distress signal around 1:50 am (1750 GMT Sunday), a bit over four hours after it departed the Port of Zamboanga City on the southwestern tip of Mindanao, the coast guard said in a statement.

Initial reports from the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao estimated that the vessel was carrying around more than 330 passengers and 27 crew members when it submerged in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan.

Local responders initially estimated the death toll at eight victims, but the number has since risen as search and rescue operations continue.

In an interview with One News, PCG spokesperson Noemie Cayabyab reported at least 15 fatalities, 28 missing, and 316 survivors.

Romel Dua, a coast guard commander based in southern Mindanao, meanwhile told Agence France-Presse that the figures were still being validated.

Some survivors have been taken to Basilan while others were rushed to Zamboanga.

Rescue operations, medical response

Basilan emergency responder Ronalyn Perez told AFP rescuers were struggling to handle the sudden influx of survivors.

"The challenge really is the number of patients that are coming in. We are short-staffed at the moment," Perez said, adding at least 18 had been brought to one local hospital.

In a Facebook post, the City Government of Isabela de Basilan reported that at least 223 survivors were at the Isabela City Port, with 23 of them rushed to the Basilan Medical Center for medical attention.

Dua said a coast guard aircraft was on the way to help rescue operations, while the Navy and Air Force also sent assets.

Video released by the coast guard showed survivors being pulled from the water and receiving medical attention. Survivors could also be heard shouting for help in the dark in one live Facebook video.

Cause still unclear

The PCG said the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 departed the Port of Zamboanga City at around 9:20 p.m. on Sunday, January 25, and was not overloaded, operating within its authorized maximum passenger capacity.

"We cannot say for now the reason of the sinking, but we were instructed to conduct a marine casualty investigation to determine the cause," Dua told AFP.

"As of now, we are focused on the rescue," he added.

The PCG also reported that no oil spill had been seen from the vessel.

The Philippines has a long history of deadly inter-island ferry accidents, with many relying on cheap and poorly regulated boats and ships for transport between the country’s more than 7,000 islands. In 2023, more than 30 people were killed when a fire ripped through a ferry in the southern Philippines. — with reports from Agence France-Presse