The passenger vessel M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 of Aleson Shipping Lines sank early Monday, January 26, 2026, just hours after departing Zamboanga Port en route to Jolo, Sulu.

According to Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman, the vessel had 332 passengers on board. Of this number, 223 passengers were rescued and are now at the Basilan Port, while four were confirmed dead, as of 6 AM.

In a report by the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao, aside from the 332 passengers on board, the vessel had 27 crew members when the incident occurred 2.75 nautical miles northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan.

"MV Trisha Kerstin 3 had departed the Port of Zamboanga City at approximaetly 9:20 PM on January 25, 2026, within its authorized maximum capacity of 352 passengers, not overloaded," said the Coast Guard.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing for the remaining passengers.

Survivors told authorities that the vessel allegedly developed a hole, causing it to take in water and sink rapidly, RH Jun Dimacutac reported during Dos Por Dos program.

The incident occurred in the waters near the Island of Mutaman, Basilan, an area where another passenger ship also caught fire in a separate incident recently.

Rescue teams from the Philippine Coast Guard, local government units, and nearby vessels continue to search for missing passengers and provide medical assistance to those rescued.

Authorities have yet to release an official cause of the sinking as investigations are ongoing.

This is a developing story.