THE death toll in the January 26 sinking of a passenger ferry off Basilan has increased to 37 as search and retrieval operations continue, authorities said Saturday, January 31.
“Three additional cadavers were retrieved today, bringing the total number of retrieved fatalities to 37,” the Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) stated Saturday, January 31, on its social media page.
The ongoing retrieval operation for the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 incident is led by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), with the support of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Hadji Muhtamad and the Basilan PDRRMO.
The PCG said the recovered bodies will be transported to Zamboanga City for proper disposition.
On Friday, January 30, the PCG **deployed an additional vessel—BRP Mechora Aquino—**to assist in the ongoing retrieval operations in the vicinity of Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan.
On Saturday, January 31, the technical divers deployed by the PCG were seen praying, seeking divine intervention, as they prepared to dive to locate the shipwreck. They are equipped with a Remotely Operated Vehicle.
“We remain focused on completing the retrieval process to ensure no victim is left unaccounted for, and to provide the much-needed closure to all affected families as we work with local authorities and the Red Cross on identification and support efforts,” Basilan PDRRMO Chief Nixon Alonzo said in a statement.
M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crewmen when it sank on January 26, some 2.75 nautical miles northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, according to the PCG.
The vessel, owned by Zamboanga City-based Aleson Shipping Lines, was sailing to Jolo, Sulu, from Zamboanga City at the time of the incident. (SunStar Zamboanga)