At least 18 people have been killed after a ferry carrying more than 350 passengers and crew capsized off the southern Philippine province of Basilan, according to the country’s coastguard.
The accident happened shortly after midnight on Monday as the vessel, MV Trisha Kerstin 3, was travelling from Zamboanga City to Jolo Island in Sulu province. The ferry issued a distress signal at about 1:50am and sank around one nautical mile from Baluk-baluk village in Basilan.
The Philippine Coast Guard said 317 people have been rescued so far, while 24 others remain missing. Those injured were taken to hospital in Isabela, the provincial capital, as search and rescue operations involving navy and air force units continue.
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Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman said most survivors were in stable condition, although some elderly passengers required urgent medical care. Coastguard officials said the cause of the sinking was not immediately clear and that an investigation had been ordered, adding that the vessel had been cleared to sail and was not overloaded.
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