The number of deaths from the ill-fated M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 has climbed to 40 on Sunday after three more cadavers were recovered in the waters off Basilan.
The Philippine Coast Guard retrieved the cadavers after they were found by the Hadji Muhtamad local government.
In a social media post, PCG said two bodies were retrieved from Baluk-Baluk Island, while another was found near Lantawan Island.
The recovered bodies will be brought to Zamboanga City for identification and proper disposition.
The Roll On-Roll Off passenger ferry departed from Port of Zamboanga City on January 25, Sunday, and was en route to Jolo, Sulu when it submerged in Basilan waters the following day.
From the initial count of 19, 11 more bodies were recovered on Thursday, four on Friday, and three on Saturday.
However, based on the PCG’s latest count, there were 39 fatalities and 316 survivors.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) said it would review survivors’ claims of insufficient life vests, missing names on the passenger manifest, and that the sunken ferry was a replacement for another vessel. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
