At least 18 people have been confirmed dead after a ferry carrying more than 350 passengers and crew sank off the southern coast of the Philippines.
Rescue teams have saved 317 people from the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, though at least 24 individuals remain unaccounted for, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
The vessel, which was transporting both cargo and passengers, was travelling from the southern island of Mindanao to Jolo Island when it sent out a distress signal at 1:50am local time on Monday (17:50 GMT Sunday).
Officials said an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the sinking. The Philippines — an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands — has a long record of maritime accidents 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.
Footage released by the disaster management office in the southwestern municipality of Bongao shows people wearing life jackets floating in the water while awaiting rescue.
A separate Facebook video shared by Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman shows survivors wrapped in blankets as they step off a rescue vessel.
Emergency teams have been stretched by the large number 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 rescue worker said their office had received more than 100 calls from relatives seeking information, AFP reported.
Past ferry disasters in the Philippines have often been linked to poor maintenance and overloading. Despite safety concerns, ferries remain a common mode of transport due to their affordability.
In May 2023, a passenger ferry fire killed 28 people, including three children — one of them a six-month-old infant.
The year before, at least seven people lost their lives after a fire broke out on a high-speed ferry carrying 134 passengers.
