Ferry Sinks In Southern Philippines Dozens Dead, Hundreds

Ferry Sinks in Southern Philippines Dozens Dead, Hundreds Rescued
A passenger ferry with over 350 people on board sank early Monday near an island in the southern Philippines, and rescuers have pulled at least 316 people to safety while 15 bodies have been recovered, officials said. The tragedy occurred just after midnight local time when the inter-island ferry M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was en route from Zamboanga City to Jolo Island in Sulu province in the Sulu Sea. The ferry was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members more than its stated capacity when it began taking on water and sank about one nautical mile (nearly 2 km) from Baluk-baluk island in Basilan province. Rescue operations were launched immediately after a coast guard safety officer on board sent a distress call before the vessel went down.
The sinking happened in good weather conditions, and the exact cause is still under investigation.
At least 316 people have been rescued from the water by the Philippine Coast Guard, navy vessels, military aircraft and civilian boats. 15 bodies have been recovered so far, and rescue teams are searching for others who may still be missing. Some reports indicate up to 28 people remain unaccounted for.
Survivors, including children and elderly passengers, were brought ashore to Isabela City, where hospitals are treating the injured and assisting families. One survivor, Mohamad Khan, said the ferry suddenly tilted and filled with water, throwing passengers into the sea in darkness. He and his wife survived, but their six-month-old baby drowned in the chaos. Coast Guard officials said the ferry had passed safety checks before departure, and early indications do not point to obvious overloading but authorities are still probing the cause of the sinking. Maritime accidents are common in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands where poor vessel maintenance, overcrowding and weak enforcement of safety rules frequently contribute to disasters.