At least 13 bodies have been recovered, and over 100 individuals are still missing following the sinking of an inter-island ferry carrying more than 300 passengers and crew in the waters off Basilan province in the southern Philippines. The ferry was traveling from Zamboanga City to Jolo Island in Sulu province when it sank near Balukbaluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, a municipality in Basilan province.
Rescue teams have retrieved 13 bodies from the water, and numerous survivors have been rescued by Coast Guard units, navy vessels, and nearby fishing boats. The Philippine Coast Guard in Southwestern Mindanao reported that 244 passengers were rescued, while the search for survivors continues.
The cause of the ferry sinking remains unclear, prompting an investigation into the incident. Prior to departure from Zamboanga port, the coast guard had conducted clearance procedures for the ferry, with no indications of overloading. The exact count of survivors is still being confirmed as search and rescue operations persist.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with the deployment of aircraft and sea assets to comb the area despite challenging sea conditions. Authorities are actively investigating the cause of the sinking. Incidents of sea accidents are not uncommon in the Philippine archipelago due to various factors such as severe weather, poorly maintained vessels, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of safety regulations, particularly in remote regions.
In a tragic maritime disaster from December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after a collision with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, resulting in the loss of over 4,300 lives, marking it as one of the world’s most devastating peacetime maritime tragedies.
