MANILA: The Philippines said it had grounded the passenger fleet of a local shipping line on Tuesday (Jan 27) pending an investigation, as rescuers scoured the ocean for survivors of a ferry sinking that killed at least 18 people.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was carrying 344 passengers and crew when it went down off southwestern Mindanao in the early hours of Monday. Most people were rescued in the immediate aftermath.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was carrying 344 passengers and crew when it went down off southwestern Mindanao in the early hours of Monday. Most people were rescued in the immediate aftermath.
The 10 passengers still unaccounted for include the ferry’s captain, eight crew members and a safety marshall, Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Ronnie Gavan said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
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.
