Passengers aboard a ferry that capsized off the southern Philippines in the middle of the night were thrown into panic as the vessel suddenly listed and overturned, killing at least 18 people, many of them elderly women, according to a survivor.
Aquino Sajili, a 53-year-old lawyer from Zamboanga City, said chaos erupted on the triple-deck MV Trisha Kerstin 3 after it began tilting sharply while sailing near Basilan province. Awoken by a fellow passenger, Sajili said it was civilians — not the crew — who distributed life jackets and tried to calm those on board.
“No one from the crew alerted us,” Sajili said in an interview from his home. “It was the passengers who were helping other passengers, telling them not to panic and not to jump.”
Fearing the ship would sink, Sajili said he phoned a lawyer friend and asked him to alert the Philippine Coast Guard. About 10 minutes later, he heard what he described as a loud snapping sound before the ferry abruptly capsized.
“The women and children were shouting and crying. There were many children,” he said.
Sajili said one of his clients, who had been travelling with him to attend a sharia court hearing, was among those killed. He added that many victims were elderly and lacked the strength to escape from under the large vessel as it overturned.
Clinging to a portion of the ferry that remained above water, Sajili eventually swam toward a life raft, which flipped over as multiple survivors tried to climb aboard. He said dozens of people ended up floating in the water, holding on to the overturned raft for more than three hours.
The first rescue boats arrived at around 3.30am, according to Sajili, with survivors later rescued in small groups by fishing vessels and boats sent by the ferry’s operator, Aleson Shipping Lines.
The ferry sank about five kilometres east of Baluk-Baluk Island, near the Zamboanga peninsula. Sajili criticised what he called an “unacceptable” response time by authorities, disputing claims that rough seas caused the accident.
After speaking with other survivors, Sajili said legal action against the ferry’s owner was likely, alleging crew negligence. Aleson Shipping Lines did not respond to requests for comment.
“I’m thankful many survived,” Sajili said. “But this should be a lesson for shipping companies to follow the law and protect passengers’ lives.”
