At least 15 people have died and 28 are missing after a ferry carrying more than 350 people capsized in the southern Philippines, with rescue operations still underway. The cause of the accident is unknown.
At least 15 people are dead and 28 are missing after a ferry with 332 passengers and 27 crew on board sank in the southern Philippines on Monday morning. This was reported by the AP and AFP agencies with reference to the Philippine Coast Guard.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sent out a distress signal around 01:50 local time (18:50 CET on Sunday), just over four hours after it left port in the city of Zamboanga on the southwestern tip of Mindanao.
Rescue operations continue
Coastguard commander Romel Dua told AFP that at least 316 people had been rescued so far, but another 15 had lost their lives and 28 were missing.
A Coast Guard aircraft has arrived at the scene to help with the search. The Navy and Air Force have also sent their assets, Dua said.
The cause of the sinking is unknown
The ferry sank in good weather about five kilometers east of Baluk-Baluk Island. He was heading from Zamboanga City to Jolo Island. The cause of the sinking was not immediately known. The Coast Guard said in a statement that the ferry was not overloaded.
Ferry accidents are quite common in the Philippines, which consists of more than 7,600 islands. Their main causes are adverse weather, poor technical condition, overcrowding and insufficient compliance with safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
On December 20, 1987, the Doňa Paz ferry sank between the islands of Mindoro and Marinduque after a collision with a tanker. The accident claimed more than 4,300 lives and became the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster. The ship was officially reported to have 1,565 passengers, although its capacity was 1,518. Later, their number was set at 4,399.
