8 dead as RoRo vessel bound for Jolo sinks off Basilan

8 dead as RoRo vessel bound for Jolo sinks off Basilan
Leah Agonoy -January 26, 2026 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2173118/8-dead-as-roro-vessel-bound-for-jo...(direct)&utm_medium=gallery

Photos were taken aboard a Philippine Coast Guard vessel showing rescued passengers from M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which came from Zamboanga City and was bound for Jolo in Sulu, and sank in Basilan waters shortly after midnight on Monday, January 26, 2026. (Photo by Daryl Canillo)
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur— A RoRo passenger vessel, M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which came from Zamboanga City and was bound for Jolo in Sulu, sank off the waters of Barangay Baluk-baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan province, shortly after midnight on Monday.

Eight have been confirmed dead as of press time.

Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh confirmed the incident, saying local responders from Barangay Baluk-baluk and the local government unit of Hadji Muhtamad immediately conducted rescue operations while coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other agencies.

As of 5:30 a.m., Kahing-Nanoh said 342 individuals were listed in the vessel’s manifest as passengers of M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, adding that eight casualties have been confirmed.

Individuals rescued by privately owned small boats and members of the Bantay Dagat were turned over to the PCG.

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Initial reports indicated that at around 1 a.m., the ship’s crew sent a distress call reporting “serious technical problems.” However, amid strong waves, the vessel eventually sank./coa