Aleson Shipping vessel sinks off Basilan; authorities commence investigation

A passenger ship M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 from local Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. capsized around Baluk-Baluk Island, Basilan, in the early morning of Jan. 26.

With more than 300 passengers and crew members onboard, over 317 survived, with 18 dead, and 24 other missing. 

The incident occurred when the ship departed at 9:20 p.m. on Jan. 25 at Zamboanga City and issued a distress call at 1:00 a.m. of Jan. 26 where the ship took in water and eventually sank. 

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) led the search and rescue operation for the involved victims including the assistance of commercial vessels, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), other concerned government agencies, and local government units.

An oil sheen was spotted when the operation was held, eventually deploying to the location of the wreckage to check. 

Survivors were accommodated in separate places in Isabela City, Basilan, and Zamboanga City, while at least 24 of them were brought to hospitals for further medication. 

The Palace ordered the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) to respond with assistance on finance and relief among the survivors. 

According to some survivors, there was no bad weather that led to the submerging of the ferry, hoping to look into its cause.

“I hope they investigate this, because we did not have bad weather. Why did it sink when there was no storm?” lawyer Jun Guro asked in an interview. 

Meanwhile, when asked about the cause of the sinking, Coast Guard Commander Romel Dua clarified that there is no primary reason behind the incident. 

“We cannot say for now the reason of the sinking, but we were instructed to conduct a marine casualty investigation to determine the cause,” he said. 

Additionally, the PCG officials said that the rumor that overloading was the leading cause of the incident was not proven right, highlighting the ferry’s reach of authorized capacity.

On the other side, the Aleson Shipping Line issued their official statement, stating their coordination with the authority by deploying their own vessels in line with the rescue operation for missing passengers and crew members. 

The shipping company was also involved in a fire incident on their own ferry, M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, in March 2023, where 31 died on nearly the same route. 

Later, the Maritime Industry Authority asserted the investigation team in determining ‘probable cause or any factors’ contributing to the tragedy.