Rescuers pulled more than 300 people from the sea as crews searched for two dozen still missing.
ISABELA CITY, PHILIPPINES— An inter-island passenger and cargo ferry with more than 350 people aboard capsized and sank early Monday near Baluk-baluk Island off Basilan province, killing at least 18, officials said, as coast guard, navy and fishing boats mounted a daylong search in calm seas.
Authorities said the steel-hulled M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 left the southern port city of Zamboanga for Jolo island in Sulu before midnight and went down after tilting sharply to one side. By late afternoon, crews had rescued at least 316 people and recovered multiple bodies. About two dozen remained unaccounted for as rescuers fanned out across a broad stretch of the Sulu Sea. The incident revives long-running concerns about maritime safety in the Philippines and marks the deadliest ferry disaster there since a 2023 fire aboard a night boat in roughly the same waters.
Passengers reported a sudden list, shouts in the dark and a rush for life vests as the vessel heaved. A father on board, identified by local volunteers as Mohamad Khan, said he and his wife were rescued but their 6-month-old child was lost in the confusion. “My wife lost hold of our baby and all of us got separated at sea,” he said, weeping as responders wrapped survivors in blankets on boats ferrying them to Isabela City. Coast guard commanders said the ferry began taking on water shortly after 1:50 a.m. Monday and sank about a nautical mile from Baluk-baluk village. Two coast guard safety marshals assigned to the voyage were among the first to radio for help, accelerating the response and drawing nearby fishing boats into the rescue.
Officials listed 332 passengers and 27 crew on the manifest when the ferry departed Zamboanga, a total that would place the voyage within the ship’s authorized capacity, according to the coast guard. Commanders said weather was generally fair and seas were gentle, with no storm advisories posted for the area overnight. Rescuers said at least 316 survivors were accounted for by midafternoon, and local authorities later reported dozens more pulled from the water by fishermen. Crews moved the injured to clinics in Isabela City and to hospitals in Zamboanga, where older passengers were treated for hypothermia and exhaustion. Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman said emergency teams were staging at the main pier with ambulances, generators and triage tents as boats arrived “one after another” carrying survivors and several bodies. Investigators said the cause was unknown. An initial account pointed to a technical failure that caused the abrupt list and flooding.
Maritime accidents are common across the archipelago, where ferries knit together more than 7,000 islands and are vital to commerce and daily life. In March 2023, a nighttime blaze aboard the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 near Basilan killed more than 30 people and exposed gaps in enforcement of safety rules. The country also suffered the 1987 sinking of the Dona Paz, which collided with a tanker and killed more than 4,300 in the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster. While regulators have strengthened inspections and installed safety marshals in recent years, provincial sailings often rely on older ships that haul both passengers and cargo, raising risks when equipment fails or emergency drills are lax. Monday’s sinking again tested those safeguards, with responders crediting onboard safety officers and nearby fishers for the speed of the first rescues.
Coast guard Commander Romel Dua said a formal investigation is underway to review the ship’s records, interview the crew and examine whether pumps and watertight doors functioned as designed. Divers were preparing to survey the wreck when currents allow. Officials were cross-checking the passenger manifest with ferry tickets and hospital logs to refine the count of the missing, noting unverified reports that up to 15 listed passengers had refunded tickets and didn’t board. The navy deployed patrol craft, while an air force Black Hawk helicopter and a surveillance plane joined the search pattern over Basilan and the sea lanes toward Sulu. Authorities said updates on the toll and the manifest reconciliation would be released after families are notified.
On the waterfront in Isabela City, relatives huddled under awnings and watched each arriving boat for familiar faces. Volunteers handed out water and rice porridge as medics checked temperatures and bandaged cuts. “Most survivors are stable, but some elderly passengers needed oxygen and warming blankets,” Hataman said at the pier. Several fishermen who had raced to the scene before dawn described hauling people from the water in life vests and clinging to floating cargo. “The sea was quiet, and we could hear them calling,” said one boat captain, who asked that his name not be published because he was still at sea. By late day, responders had set up a roster board listing the rescued, the hospitalized and the unidentified dead to help families move between staging areas without confusion.
As night approaches, the coast guard said search crews will widen their sweep along currents toward the Zamboanga Strait and the northern edge of the Sulu archipelago. Investigators plan to take sworn statements from the captain and bridge team and to secure the engine logs and emergency equipment list. Officials said they aim to release a preliminary findings report within days and a fuller incident brief after the hull is inspected. The ferry operator could face administrative penalties or criminal charges depending on the outcome. The next formal update is expected after manifest reconciliation and family notifications Tuesday morning, local time.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.