A passenger ferry carrying more than 340 people capsized and burned before dawn Monday off Basilan province in the southern Philippines, killing at least 18 people as coast guard and navy crews pulled hundreds from the water and overturned hull, officials said.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 left Zamboanga City on Sunday night for Jolo, Sulu, and sent a distress call around 1:50 a.m. near Baluk-Baluk Island. By late Monday, authorities said at least 316 people were rescued and divers were being deployed to search for the missing. The Department of Transportation temporarily grounded the operator’s passenger fleet while investigators review weather, loading and stability records. The sinking renewed scrutiny of inter-island ferry safety in an archipelago that depends on sea travel but faces periodic mass-casualty accidents.
Shortly after 9:20 p.m. Sunday, the roll-on/roll-off ferry cleared Zamboanga port and headed southwest across the Basilan Strait. Passengers described a routine first hour before rougher bands of wind and waves struck. Around 1:50 a.m., a sea marshal radioed for help as the ship began to list. Survivors said crew members shouted for people to move to higher decks and reach for life rings as lights flickered. Fishing boats, a coast guard cutter and navy craft converged within minutes. “We are expanding the search grid and preparing divers,” a provincial official said, noting currents and squalls that complicated the rescue through daybreak.
Preliminary counts listed more than 330 passengers and about two dozen crew on board, within a stated capacity of 352. Officials later revised the manifest to reflect at least 15 no-shows, bringing the working total to roughly 344. By evening, the confirmed death toll stood at 18 while tallies of the missing varied as hospitals and evacuation centers reconciled names. Authorities said at least 316 survivors had been accounted for. The ferry came to rest inverted with fire damage near the stern, and responders marked the wreck with strobes before widening searches by boat and aircraft. The cause remains undetermined.
Investigators will examine potential factors including wave action, cargo shift, flooding and mechanical failure. The Maritime Industry Authority opened an inquiry into compliance with load manifests, watertight integrity and emergency drills. The operator, Aleson Shipping Lines, faces a temporary suspension of its passenger fleet as regulators audit maintenance logs and crew certifications. Officials said teams will secure voyage and engine logs, fueling receipts and any electronic data modules that could help reconstruct the final minutes. Weather bulletins noted passing squalls; accounts from survivors differed on whether conditions were calm or rough immediately before the list.
Ferries are a lifeline across the Philippines’ 7,000-plus islands, carrying workers, food and construction materials along routes like Zamboanga–Jolo. Despite regular safety campaigns, fatal incidents persist. The Trisha Kerstin 3 sinking comes within the same corridor as a 2023 ferry fire that killed dozens and spurred fresh inspections. Port officials said the Zamboanga–Sulu run is among the region’s busiest, with frequent night departures timed to tide and cargo schedules. Local officials said ports would delay some sailings as search-and-rescue operations took priority around Baluk-Baluk’s reef line.
Coast guard photos showed responders hauling people from the water at first light while others clung to floating cargo and foam panels. Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman offered condolences and said provincial boats and medical teams were assisting. At the pier in Zamboanga, families compared handwritten lists taped to walls with names called out by officials. Volunteers handed out water and blankets while buses ferried survivors to clinics for treatment of cuts and hypothermia. A fisherman who helped in the rescue said he saw “many in life jackets calling to us” near the reef as dawn broke.
Authorities said technical teams would begin diving on the wreck once currents eased, likely within 24 to 48 hours. Regulators planned to brief reporters after securing records and interviewing the captain and key crew members. A preliminary incident report is expected in days, followed by a fuller probe that could take months. The airport in nearby Zamboanga prepared to accommodate medical transfers as needed, and local ports said cargo schedules would be adjusted until search lanes are cleared. Officials emphasized that identification of the dead will proceed under national guidelines once the medical examiner completes examinations.
By Monday night, at least 18 people were confirmed dead and more than 316 rescued, with divers tasked to join the search as weather allows. Authorities said the next update would follow completion of on-scene documentation and interviews later this week.
Author note: Last updated January 26, 2026.