"Ten minutes later, I heard a sudden, loud snap," said the 53-year-old attorney from nearby Zamboanga City in Mindanao. "Then the ship immediately capsized," he said in an interview from his home, describing how panic quickly gripped the passengers. 'No alert from crew'Sajili said he was awoken by a fellow passenger as the triple-decker ferry began to tilt precariously. The first rescue vessels arrived at around 3:30 am, Sajili said, although those bobbing in the water faced a longer wait. The ferry sank about five kilometres (three miles) east of Basilan province's Baluk-Baluk Island, near the Zamboanga peninsula.

Source: Philippine Star January 27, 2026 00:32 UTC