Authorities in the Philippines have reported the recovery of the bodies of three people who perished after a passenger vessel sank off the country's southern island of Mindanao earlier this week.
The death toll of the loss of Aleson Shipping Lines' Ro-Pax ferry Trisha Kerstin 3 has now been raised to 18 following the recovery of the three deceased individuals in the waters just off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province.
Officials said that 24 other people who were also on the ferry are still missing. The 317 survivors have meanwhile been brought to nearby Pilas Island municipality.
Philippine Coast Guard Spokeswoman Captain Noemi Cayabyab told AFP that the area off Baluk-Baluk was experiencing rough sea conditions when Trisha Kerstin 3 suffered water ingress and sank while en route to Sulu province in the early morning (local time) of Monday, January 26.
The coast guard and other partner agencies are continuing to comb the waters off Basilan for any trace of the 24 missing individuals.
Authorities have since launched an investigation into the tragedy, which is the fourth passenger vessel loss to occur in southern Philippine waters in just over a week.
It is also the second fatal passenger vessel incident to occur off Baluk-Baluk following the March 29, 2023 fire that killed 33 people on the grounded ferry Lady Mary Joy 3, another Aleson-operated vessel.