'Overloading' may have led to deadly Philippine ferry sinking

Philippine authorities said that a ferry may have been overloaded when it sank in the country's south last month, killing dozens of people who received no warning from the ship's crew.



The death toll has risen steadily since the Trisha Kerstin 3 went down off the coast of southwestern Mindanao on Jan 26, with the body of a woman pulled from the wreckage by divers on Wednesday morning bringing the tally to 52.



The triple-decker vessel capsized on nearly the same route where 31 people were killed in a 2023 fire aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry.



Locally based Aleson Shipping Lines owned both ships.



On Wednesday, transportation secretary Giovanni Lopez cited multiple safety violations in announcing administrative charges against the company, including the fact that vehicles boarding the ferry were never weighed as required by law.