The death toll from the sunken roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 has climbed to 18, as of 11:21 a.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026, according to the latest data from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The PCG said 317 passengers have been rescued, while 24 remain missing.

Based on a report from the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao, the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which was carrying 332 passengers and 27 crew members, departed the Port of Zamboanga City at around 9:20 p.m. on January 25, 2026, bound for Jolo, Sulu.

At around 1:51 a.m. on Monday, the vessel encountered trouble and eventually sank near Barangay Baluk-Baluk, Pilas Island, Basilan, approximately 2.75 nautical miles northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island.

Search and rescue operations remain ongoing for the remaining missing passengers.

The Philippine Coast Guard reiterated that the vessel was “not overloaded,” as it was operating within its authorized maximum capacity of 352 passengers.