13 dead, over 100 missing after ferry sinks in Philippines

Before dawn broke over the southern Philippines on Monday, tragedy unfolded at sea.

An inter-island ferry carrying more than 300 passengers and crew slipped beneath the waves off Basilan province, leaving at least 13 people dead and more than 100 still unaccounted for, authorities said.

The vessel had been sailing from Zamboanga City toward Jolo Island in Sulu province when it went down near Balukbaluk Island in the municipality of Hadji Muhtamad, according to the Philippine Coast Guard in Southwestern Mindanao, as reported by Xinhua.

As daylight crept in, rescue teams fanned out across the churning waters. Coast Guard units, navy vessels and nearby fishing boats pulled dozens of survivors to safety, while at least 13 bodies were recovered from the sea. Officials said 244 passengers had been rescued, though the final number of survivors was still being verified.

The cause of the sinking remained shrouded in uncertainty. Authorities said the ferry had been cleared before leaving Zamboanga port, with no immediate signs of overloading. An investigation has been ordered as search-and-rescue operations continued, supported by aircraft and sea assets battling rough conditions.

Maritime accidents are a grim and familiar chapter in the Philippine archipelago, where frequent storms, aging vessels, overcrowding and weak enforcement of safety rules often conspire against safe passage—particularly in far-flung provinces.

The disaster has also revived memories of one of the darkest days in maritime history: the sinking of the Doña Paz in December 1987, when a collision with a fuel tanker claimed more than 4,300 lives in what remains the world’s deadliest peacetime sea tragedy.

For now, hope and grief drift side by side on the restless waters of Basilan, as families wait for news and rescuers continue their desperate search.

With IANS inputs