The death toll from last week’s sinking of a vessel carrying hundreds of passengers in the Philippines has risen to 52 after one more body was recovered during an ongoing search operation, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Wednesday. Authorities also confirmed that 316 people survived the disaster.
“As of this morning, the PCG recorded 52 fatalities and 316 survivors in connection with the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3,” the coast guard said in a statement posted on Facebook. Technical divers continued operations at the wreck site, but officials did not specify how many passengers remain missing.
The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was en route to Jolo Island in Sulu province when it sank in waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan. The vessel issued a distress signal at about 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 25, roughly four hours after departing from the Port of Zamboanga City on the southwestern tip of Mindanao.
The Philippines, an archipelago of about 7,000 islands, has a long history of deadly ferry accidents, often linked to overcrowded vessels and weak regulatory oversight. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the latest disaster.
