A deadly ferry sinking between the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga and Jolo Island has left at least 15 to 18 people dead, dozens missing, and hundreds more rescued from the dark, choppy waters off Basilan province in the Sulu Sea.

As of the afternoon of January 26, 2026, search and rescue teams were still combing a wide stretch of sea for survivors from the roll-on/roll-off passenger and cargo vessel M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which went down shortly after midnight en route to the island province of Sulu.

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What Happened During the Nighttime Crossing

The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 left the port of Zamboanga City at around 9:20 p.m. on Sunday, January 25, sailing on a familiar overnight route to Jolo, the main island of Sulu. Authorities say the inter-island ferry was carrying roughly 332 passengers and 27 crew members on a journey often used by local families, traders, and students moving between the busy Mindanao gateway and the more remote islands of the Sulu archipelago.

Conditions at sea were reported to be generally calm, with no storm warnings in effect. But sometime after midnight, roughly a nautical mile off Baluk-Baluk Island in the municipality of Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, the vessel apparently developed technical problems and began to list. Passengers described a sudden jolt followed by an unnerving tilt that sent cargo and people sliding across the decks, triggering panic as some tried to grab life vests or rush toward exits in the darkness.

At about 1:50 a.m., the ferry issued a distress call. Within a short time, the situation worsened as water entered the ship and crew struggled to keep order and deploy life-saving equipment. Survivors later recounted jumping into the sea, some clutching children and others clinging to floating debris as the Trisha Kerstin 3 slipped below the surface of the Sulu Sea.

Death Toll, Missing Passengers, and Conflicting Figures

The precise death toll and number of missing remain fluid as Philippine authorities cross-check passenger manifests with survivor lists and hospital records. Early counts from officials on the ground put the number of confirmed dead at 15, with at least 28 people still unaccounted for in the hours after the sinking. Other local officials later spoke of 18 fatalities and more than 20 missing as bodies were recovered and some survivors were located in remote coastal communities.

What is clear is that hundreds of people survived. The Philippine Coast Guard has reported that more than 300 passengers and crew were pulled from the water or picked up from nearby islands and boats, with estimates of those rescued ranging from about 215 to over 317, depending on the source and time of reporting. Many of those rescued were brought to the provincial capital of Isabela City in Basilan or back to Zamboanga, where they received medical treatment, blankets, food, and psychological support.

The confusion around numbers is familiar in large maritime disasters. In the Philippines, passenger lists are sometimes incomplete, and tickets can be purchased at the last minute in ports or informal terminals. As a result, officials have cautioned that the figures may shift again as they reconcile the shipping company’s manifest, the Coast Guard’s tally, and reports from families still searching for loved ones who boarded the ferry in Zamboanga but have not yet been traced.

Inside the Ongoing Search and Rescue Mission

From the moment the distress call was received, the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy began mobilizing assets for what quickly escalated into a full-scale search and rescue mission in the Sulu Sea. A crucial factor in the early response was the presence of a Coast Guard safety officer on board the Trisha Kerstin 3, who survived and was credited by officials with promptly alerting command centers to the unfolding emergency.

By dawn, multiple Coast Guard and Navy vessels had converged on the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island, joined by a surveillance aircraft and an Air Force Black Hawk helicopter that scoured the area from the air. Local fishing boats and privately owned vessels also joined the effort, responding to radio calls and word-of-mouth pleas from relatives and village officials desperate to help find survivors.

Search teams focused first on plucking people from the sea and nearby islets, where some passengers had managed to swim or drift. Later in the morning, the operation shifted toward a mix of rescue and retrieval, with divers and surface teams looking for both survivors who might still be clinging to wreckage and the bodies of those who did not make it to safety. The work has been complicated by strong currents and the wide dispersal of survivors and debris over many nautical miles.

Officials said the operation would continue as long as there was any reasonable chance of finding people alive in the water. Maritime rescuers in the Philippines are painfully aware that some of the most tragic discoveries in previous disasters occurred not in the first frantic hours but days later, as bodies washed up on remote beaches or were found entangled in the wreckage below.

The Route Between Zamboanga and Jolo: Lifeline Across Risky Waters

The route between Zamboanga City on Mindanao and Jolo Island in Sulu is one of the most important sea links in the southern Philippines. It is not just a corridor for tourists and traders but a lifeline for entire island communities dependent on ferries for access to markets, hospitals, schools, and government services. Roll-on/roll-off ferries like the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 carry both passengers and cargo, including vehicles and produce, making them critical to the region’s fragile economy.

At the same time, these are some of the country’s most challenging and, at times, dangerous waters. The Sulu Sea and the surrounding islands have a long history of piracy, armed conflict, and insurgent activity, although security has improved in recent years due to sustained military and law-enforcement campaigns. For travelers, the more immediate dangers often come not from security threats but from the sea itself and the quality of the vessels they travel on.

Past accidents in the broader Zamboanga-Sulu-Basilan region include fires, sinkings, and groundings involving inter-island ferries that were later found to have suffered from poor maintenance or inadequate safety practices. In 2023, a deadly fire aboard the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 near Basilan killed dozens of people and led to renewed scrutiny of passenger-ship safety. Authorities and shipping operators pledged reforms, but the Trisha Kerstin 3 disaster shows that the risks remain very real for those who must travel by sea.

What We Know About the Vessel and Possible Causes

The M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 is a roll-on/roll-off passenger and cargo ferry operated by Aleson Shipping Lines, a long-established company in the southern Philippines that runs multiple routes in the Zamboanga and Sulu seas. The vessel reportedly had a maximum passenger capacity of around 350 people and was cleared by the Philippine Coast Guard for departure from Zamboanga City on the evening of January 25, with officials stating there was no initial indication of overloading.

Early statements from Coast Guard officials and survivors point to a technical or mechanical problem as a likely trigger. Some reports mention that the ship began to list and take on water under otherwise fair weather conditions, suggesting a structural issue, hull breach, or problem with ballast or cargo distribution. Investigators will examine whether there were preexisting defects, lapses in maintenance, or operational errors that could have contributed to the sudden loss of stability.

Under Philippine maritime law, a formal investigation will review the vessel’s records, crew training, safety drills, and compliance with regulations, as well as the company’s maintenance and inspection logs. Authorities are also expected to analyze the distress calls, radar data, and survivor testimonies to reconstruct the final minutes before the sinking. While officials have emphasized that overloading does not appear to be the primary factor, that conclusion may be revisited as more evidence emerges.

For now, the focus remains on finding survivors and supporting families. But in the weeks and months ahead, the Trisha Kerstin 3 disaster is likely to prompt renewed questions about how well safety rules are being enforced on aging inter-island ferries that form the backbone of domestic travel in the Philippine archipelago.

Stories of Survival and Loss at Sea

As survivors reached the docks of Basilan and Zamboanga, harrowing personal accounts began to filter out, offering a human face to the numbers. Some passengers described being jolted awake by the sudden tilt of the ferry and the sound of people screaming as lights flickered and belongings crashed across the cabin floors. Others talked about desperately searching for their children or elderly parents in the chaos as crew members shouted instructions to don life vests and move toward the open decks.

One father told reporters he had been holding his infant child when the crush of panicked passengers separated them in the scramble to escape the listing vessel. He made it into the water and was later rescued, but his baby did not. Other families were luckier, managing to stay together as they jumped into the sea and clung to life rings, pieces of wood, or cargo containers until rescuers arrived or they drifted toward nearby islands.

Local officials and volunteers along the Basilan shoreline have recounted wrenching scenes at the pier, where ambulances lined up to receive survivors and bodies. Families from both Zamboanga and Sulu have been traveling between hospitals, Coast Guard stations, and municipal offices in search of information about missing loved ones. Many displayed photographs on their phones, hoping someone might recognize a face from the chaotic hours of the rescue.

The emotional toll is likely to deepen as the days pass and the chances of finding additional survivors diminish. For communities accustomed to traveling by sea, each new maritime disaster is both a national tragedy and a painfully personal reminder of how quickly a routine voyage can turn deadly.

Maritime Safety in the Philippines Under Scrutiny Once Again

The Trisha Kerstin 3 sinking fits into a troubling pattern of maritime disasters that have plagued the Philippines for decades. The country, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, depends heavily on sea transport, and accidents have often been linked to a familiar mix of factors: aging vessels, inconsistent maintenance, overloading, lax enforcement of safety standards, and unpredictable weather.

Among the most notorious tragedies was the 1987 sinking of the ferry Dona Paz after a collision with an oil tanker, which killed more than 4,300 people and remains the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in modern history. Since then, regulatory changes and technological advances have improved some aspects of safety, yet serious incidents continue to occur with unsettling regularity, particularly in the more remote southern regions.

Following previous accidents, officials have vowed to tighten inspections, crack down on unsafe operators, and modernize fleets. The 2023 Basilan ferry fire and other recent incidents led to renewed calls for stronger oversight and better training for crews in emergency response, evacuation procedures, and passenger management. The latest sinking will almost certainly intensify scrutiny of how those pledges have been implemented, especially for roll-on/roll-off ferries moving both people and heavy cargo.

Experts say that improving safety will require not just stricter rules on paper, but sustained investment in enforcement, vessel upgrades, and public awareness. For travelers, knowing what to look for in terms of visible safety equipment and crew preparedness may offer some reassurance, but many still have little choice but to board whatever vessel is available if they need to reach islands like Jolo.

What Travelers and Families Need to Know Now

For those with relatives who may have been on the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, Philippine authorities have urged families to coordinate with local government units, police, and Coast Guard offices in Zamboanga City, Basilan, and Sulu. Survivors continue to be processed and documented in different ports and medical facilities, and official lists are being updated as people are identified and reunited with loved ones.

Travelers planning to use the Zamboanga to Jolo route in the coming days should anticipate disruptions. Maritime officials are likely to impose temporary adjustments on ferry schedules and conduct heightened inspections of vessels and safety equipment before allowing departures. Ports in the region are also expected to maintain an increased security and emergency presence as the search and rescue operation continues offshore.

For visitors to the southern Philippines, particularly foreigners unfamiliar with the nuances of domestic sea travel, local tourism operators and hotels can be an important source of up-to-date information about ferry conditions, alternative routes, or possible flight options. While most crossings in the region are completed safely, this latest disaster underscores the importance of basic precautions, such as noting the location of life jackets and emergency exits upon boarding and paying close attention to safety briefings from crew members.

Even as authorities work to piece together exactly why the Trisha Kerstin 3 sank on what should have been a routine run, the broader questions loom large. For the people of Zamboanga, Basilan, and Sulu, the ferry routes that connect their islands will remain essential, and the demand for safer, more reliable sea travel will only grow louder in the wake of another tragedy in the Sulu Sea.