18 dead after ferry sinks off Basilan province in southern Philippines

At least 18 bodies were recovered, and 24 people remained missing after an inter-island ferry sank early Monday morning in waters off Basilan province in the southern Philippines, authorities said.

There were 332 passengers and 27 crew members onboard when the accident happened, according to the Chief Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Click to Gallery

18 dead after ferry sinks off Basilan province in southern Philippines

More Images

18 dead after ferry sinks off Basilan province in southern Philippines

"The search and rescue operation is ongoing, but what I can say is that the ship is not overloaded. It has a maximum passenger capacity of 350, and the actual passengers on board, as declared by the master, are 332. The Coast Guard has immediately acted on it as soon as it received, or we've received, the distress call from the Sea Marshal on board. It has two Coast Guard personnel on board acting as Sea Marshals," Gavan told reporters in Manila.

"There are initial reports, but the details are not yet final," he said.

Gavan said the cause of the sinking was still under investigation.

The PCG Commander Romel Dua of the Southern Mindanao District told reporters that 317 people were rescued.

The PCG said the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was en route to Jolo Island in Sulu province from Zamboanga City when it sank before 2:00 local time on Monday off the Balukbaluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, a municipality in the Sulu Sea.

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China led by chair Engin Eroglu in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

He said China stands ready to join hands with the EU to address global challenges, promote exchanges and cooperation among legislative bodies, effectively utilize communication mechanisms, and advance the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

Eroglu said the EU stands ready to work with China to contribute to the development of EU-China relations.