Weesam Express 8 Sinks at Zamboanga Port; All Crew Safe

Daphne Santuyo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A fast craft ferry, the Weesam Express 8, sank while on dock in the Zamboanga City port early Tuesday morning, October 7, 2025, forcing the evacuation of its crew but resulting in no casualties.

The vessel, owned and operated by SRN Fast Seacrafts, Inc., began taking on water hours before its scheduled 6:45 a.m. departure for Isabela City, Basilan. According to officials, the ferry listed heavily before becoming fully submerged at approximately 5:20 a.m. The situation began to unfold in the pre-dawn hours. “It was past 3 a.m. when the crew noticed the engine room was flooded with sea water,” Skipper of Weesam 8 Samuel Sabanal told reporters at the scene.

He said the crew members on board discovered a hole in the engine room and immediately attempted to pump the water out. However, their efforts were futile as they were "quickly overwhelmed by the inflow," Sabanal stated.

A subsequent effort to save the vessel with the assistance of a tugboat also failed as the fast craft continued to take on water at an alarming rate.

Skipper Sabanal confirmed that the quick response of the crew ensured their safety. “All crew members managed to escape before the vessel sank,” he said. No passengers were on board at the time of the incident.

The Philippine Coast Guard is expected to conduct a full investigation to determine the cause of the breach in the incident. SRN Fast Seacrafts, Inc. has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the disruption to its services on the vital Zamboanga-Basilan route or its plans for the submerged vessel.