Manila: The Philippines has mobilized a team of divers to search for those missing after a ferry capsized. The Philippine Coast Guard is preparing to deploy divers on Tuesday to locate missing passengers after a ferry carrying more than 300 people capsized en route to Sulu province in the south, resulting in the loss of at least 18 lives.
According to Thai News Agency, the Philippine Department of Transportation has ordered a suspension of all passenger ship voyages by Aleson Shipping, the owner of the sunken vessel, due to a history of 32 previous maritime accidents. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that 316 survivors have been rescued, while 10 passengers remain unaccounted for, following the capsizing of the Trisha Kerstin 3 shortly after midnight on Monday. The ferry was traveling to Jolo, Sulu province, from Zamboanga City. The cause of the sinking is still under investigation.
The Eleson Shipping vessel operates a network of shipping routes between islands throughout the Mindanao region and the Sulu Islands. A Philippine Coast Guard spokesman stated that the total number of passengers on board was revised to 344, down from the initial estimate of 359, after an investigation revealed that 15 individuals on the passenger list did not actually board. The Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel was authorized to carry a maximum of 352 passengers, which is within the permitted limit.