Death toll in ferry boat accident off Basilan climbs to 15, hundreds rescued

MANILA- The death toll from a ferry boat accident near Basilan in the Southern Philippines has reached at least 15, with 316 people rescued, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Monday as the search continued for the dozens still missing.

The accident occurred at 1:50 a.m. [1750 GMT] on Monday while the passenger vessel, MV Trisha Kerstin 3, was en route to Jolo in Sulu province after departing from Zamboanga. The PCG said the vessel, operating within its authorised passenger capacity of 352, had 332 passengers on board and 27 crew.

Search and rescue teams scouring the area in relatively calm waters have helped speed up operations, Coast Guard Commander Romel Dua of Southern Mindanao District said by phone. He said 28 remain missing.

Dua said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident. Military aircraft and vessels have been deployed to assist rescue efforts, Dua added.

Mujiv Hataman, governor of the island province of Basilan, shared clips from the scene at Mindanao's Isabela port on Facebook, showing survivors being ushered off boats, with some wrapped in thermal blankets and others being carried on stretchers.

Hataman told DZBB radio that most survivors were doing well, but several elderly passengers needed emergency medical care. He added that authorities were still cross‑checking the passenger manifest as rescue efforts proceeded.

Scores of people die each year from ferry accidents in the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands with a patchy record on maritime safety.

-Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Editing by Michael Perry and David Stanway/Reuters