Sulu-bound ship sinks off Basilan; 40 missing
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/26 January)—A search and rescue effort is underway for the remaining forty missing passengers and crew of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 which sank 2.7 nautical miles northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan a few hours after leaving Zamboanga City for Jolo, Sulu Sunday evening, January 25.
The Philippine Coast Guard Southwestern Mindanao said they received a distress call from the PSG sea marshall on board the commercial roll on-roll off (RoRo) vessel, which departed the Port of Zamboanga City at 9:20 PM with 332 passengers and a crew of 27, past 1 AM Monday, prompting the deployment of rescue ships at 1:50 AM.
The responders were soon after able to rescue 301 individuals and retrieve 15 dead, leaving 43 missing as of 8:45 AM Monday.
Three other bodies were recovered past 11 AM, leaving 40 individuals still missing.
Twenty-four of those rescued early dawn Monday have been admitted to the Basilan Medical Center and Infante Hospital in Isabela City.
Commander Romel Dua of Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao said the cause of the tragedy is not yet clear but noted the occurrence of strong winds due to ‘Amihan’ or the northeast monsoon.
Dua said the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, with its 332 passengers, was within its authorized maximum capacity of 352 passengers.
According to the boat’s official manifesto or list of passengers, 162 adults were in the economy class, and 54 in the airconditioned deck, 54 students were in the Economy class and 9 in the AirCon class, 28 Seniors were in the economy class, and 14 in the Aircon Class, 2 Persons with Disabilities were in the Economy Class and another 3 are in the Aircon Class, while 4 minors were in the economy, and 2 in the Aircon Class.
Dua said the deployed rescue assets, including the 44-meter BRP Tubattaha from Zamboanga City, continue to scour the seas for survivors. The PCG vessels are being helped by commercial vessels, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), other government agencies, and local government units (LGUs), he said.
Dua said no oil spill has been detected at this time.
Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc., which owns MV Trisha Kerstin 3, is owned by the family of Zamboanga City Mayor Adan Olaso.
According to information from the Philippine Ship Spotters Society, the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, originally from Japan, was built in 1995 and was formerly named Camellia II. It was acquired by Aleson Shipping Lines in 2010.
A statement released by the shipping line expressed gratitude to local and provincial authorities for their quick response to the distress call. The company also provided hotline numbers for inquiries and concerns (09177173674, 09399254949, 09688511691, 09171535845, 09688732992, and 09688751277).
The PCG said it continues to search for survivors. (Frencie L. Carreon/MindaNews)
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