At least 15 people have died after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of the southern Philippine province of Basilan, with at least 43 people still missing, local authorities and the coast guard said.
The ferry, Trisha Kerstin-3, sank early Monday morning shortly after departing from Zamboanga City in Basilan for the island of Jolo in Mindanao province. The ferry was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members.
The Philippine Coast Guard said that 138 people have been rescued alive so far. Of them, 18 have been admitted to the hospital. The rescue operation is being carried out by the Coast Guard’s diving team and the disaster management authority. However, due to a manpower shortage, the assistance of the Mindanao provincial administration has been sought to strengthen the operation.
The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Authorities said search and rescue operations were continuing to locate the missing.
Ferry accidents are not new in the Philippines, a country of more than 110 million people. Such deadly accidents are common in the country due to poor safety measures and adverse weather conditions.