No fewer than 18 people have died after a ferry carrying more than 350 passengers and crew members onboard sank in the waters off Philippines’ southern coast.
Search crews have rescued 317 people on board the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, but at least 24 people are still missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The ship, both a cargo and passenger ferry, was on its way from the southern island of Mindanao to Jolo island when it issued a distress call at 1:50 local time Monday (17:50 GMT Sunday).
Authorities say they are investigating the cause of the sinking. The Philippines – an archipelago nation of 7,100 islands – has a long history of maritime disasters involving inter-island ferries.
“Based on the account of some survivors, the waters in the area were rough at the time,” Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab said in a televised interview, according to an AFP report.
A video shared by the disaster management office in the southwestern Bongao Municipality show people wearing life vests floating in the water as they wait for rescuers.
Another Facebook video posted by Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman showed survivors wrapped in blankets as they disembarked from a rescue boat.
Rescuers have been overwhelmed by the influx of survivors, Basilan emergency responder Ronalyn Perez told AFP.
“The challenge really is the number of patients that are coming in. We are short-staffed at the moment,” Perez said.
Another rescuer said their office had received more than 100 calls from family members, AFP reported.
Poor maintenance and overloading have been blamed for past ferry accidents in the Philippines. Despite this, many Filipinos still travel by ferry due to its low costs.
