24 still missing after RORO vessel sinks off Basilan

Four persons are being treated for serious injuries while 24 more are still missing after the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry sank in the waters off Pilas Island in Basilan early Monday, said Basilan Governor Mujiv Hataman. 

Hataman said three people who were “seriously injured” were brought to Zamboanga while an elderly person was brought to the intensive care unit of the Basilan Medical Center. 

“Mayroon lang seriously injured na tatlo, dinala kanina sa Zamboanga kanina at mayroong nasa ICU ng Basilan Medical Center na isang matanda, sa basilan lang po, ayun lang po so far,” he said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB. 

(There are just three who were seriously injured; they were brought to Zamboanga earlier, and there is one elderly person in the ICU of Basilan Medical Center, just in Basilan, that’s all so far.) 

Hataman said that some were injured after being hit by objects while the boat was sinking. 

“Ang isa doon sa nakausap natin, yes, parang tumagilid na, siyempre slowly lumulubog. So ‘yung iba natamaan ng ilang material doon sa loob ng barko,” he said. 

(According to one of the people we spoke with, yes, it tilted and, of course, slowly began to sink. So, others were hit by some materials inside the ship.) 

Latest figures by the Philippine Coast Guard showed that fatalities rose to 18 while authorities are still searching for 24 others. 

Of the 317 individuals rescued, Hataman said that 223 were brought to Basilan. The governor said that most of the survivors brought to his province were residents of Sulu. 

“Karamihan ay residente ng Sulu, mangilan-ngilan ay from Bongao kasi may bibisitahin lang. Pero ang karamihan ay galing Sulu,” he said. 

(Most are residents of Sulu, a few are from Bongao who were just visiting someone. But the majority are from Sulu.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News