18 out of 350 dead as ferry sinks off the Philippines

Philippines: At least 18 out of 350 people on a ferry have been reportedly dead as the ferry sank off due to some technical issues at the southern Philippine province of Basilan.

The ship named as MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was reportedly boarded with 332 passengers and 27 crew members; it was en-route to Jolo Island in southern Sulu from the port city of Zamboanga. However, it developed issues during the midnight around 1.50 AM today, which was four hours after the departed location, Zamboanga city.

Though the weather conditions were reportedly good, the ship sank in about 2 kilometers at the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province.

Following the incident, a number of rescue teams rushed to the spot and saved 317 people out of 350 according to the latest tally uploaded by Philippine Coast Guard. The Coast Guards also confirmed the number of deaths and also said that the search operation is still going on to find out other 24 missing passengers.

Meanwhile, the passengers who were rescued and needed emergency medical care were immediately taken to a hospital in the capital city of Isabela.

It is also reportedly said that ferry accidents frequently take place in the Philippines, as it has more than 7,600 islands. Reason behind the accidents could be due to storms, overcrowding, ageing vessels or another possible reason could be because people don’t obey to the rules and regulations.

The investigation to know the cause of sinking of the ship is still underway.