The death toll from the tragic sinking of M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 has climbed to 36 after three more bodies were recovered, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Saturday, January 31.

Two of the bodies were retrieved near Baluk-Baluk Island and Mataja Island by a joint search-and-rescue team at around 1:42 a.m., while another cadaver was recovered at sea around 2 p.m. All three were transported to Zamboanga City for proper disposition.

The number of survivors remains at 316, though authorities have noted that some passengers who purchased tickets through scalpers or boarded without being on the official manifest may not have been accounted for in initial reports.

While the PCG earlier ruled out overloading as a cause of the sinking, the growing number of recovered bodies has already surpassed the number of initially declared missing passengers.

M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 sank in Basilan waters on Monday, with search and rescue (SAR) operations hampered by sharks in the area, delaying recovery efforts.

In response, the PCG has expanded search zones to safer nearby waters in coordination with local coastal communities and barangays, still hoping to locate possible survivors.

As of Saturday, the wreck of the vessel has yet to be found, and retrieval operations continue under challenging conditions.