Ferry sinking kills 18, leaves 10 missing in south Philippines

Manila: A ferry with more than 340 people onboard sank early Monday off the southern Philippines, killing at least 18 and leaving 10 still missing, th...

Manila: A ferry with more than 340 people onboard sank early Monday off the southern Philippines, killing at least 18 and leaving 10 still missing, the coast guard said.

Search-and-rescue efforts were expected to continue through the night, Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab told AFP, adding that an earlier tally of passengers had been reduced to 344 as some on the ship's manifest never boarded.

The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 issued a distress signal around 1:50 am (1750 GMT Sunday), a bit over four hours after it departed the Port of Zamboanga City on the southwestern tip of Mindanao, the coast guard said in a statement.

Video released by the governor of Basilan province showed barefoot survivors being wrapped in blankets and placed on gurneys, while victims of the sinking were carried past in body bags.

The triple-decker vessel sank on nearly the same route where 31 people died in 2023 after a fire aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry. Both ships were owned by locally based Aleson Shipping Lines.