The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that the passenger cargo MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was not overloaded when it departed from the Port of Zamboanga City on Sunday evening.
The RoRo-passenger vessel was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members, within its authorized capacity of 352, when it sank approximately 2.75 nautical miles (5 kilometers) northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan.
According to the Basilan local government, PCG records show that 223 survivors were initially rescued and brought to Isabela City. Of these, 23 were transferred to the Basilan Medical Center for medical treatment. At least eight people were reported dead.
The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 departed Zamboanga City at around 9:20 p.m. on January 25 before the incident occurred.
