Search and rescue on Lake Toba (Source: VNA) Jakarta (VNA) - At least 12 people, including two children, diedafter a ferry carrying over 139 passengers sank in waters off Indonesia'sSulawesi island on July 3, officials said.
Search and rescue operations are still underway, but bad weatherhampered rescuers from approaching the scene. As many as 125 passengers wererescued.
Ferry KMP Lestari Maju, heading to Selayar island, sank at 14:30 (localtime) in the waters of Selayar.
The vessel was also loaded with 48 cars and motorcycles in addition to thepassengers.
This is the third vessel sinking in Indonesia over the past 15 days. OnJune 18, a vessel carrying nearly 200 passengers capsized and sank on LakeToba, a well-known tourist destination in the country.
The latest reports showed that 21 people were rescued and three bodieswere found. Another 164 are missing and believed to have drowned. Approximately400 search and rescue staff, including police and army forces, have joined thesearch.
On June 22, a wooden ship carrying five passengers also capsized on LakeToba, killing one.
Toba is one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes and the widest inIndonesia, with an area of 1,145 sq.km. As a popular tourist destination, itlies in the north of Sumatra island, about a three-hour drive from Medan city.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than17,000 islands, due to weak enforcement of safety regulations.-VNA
Search and rescue operations are still underway, but bad weatherhampered rescuers from approaching the scene. As many as 125 passengers wererescued.
Ferry KMP Lestari Maju, heading to Selayar island, sank at 14:30 (localtime) in the waters of Selayar.
The vessel was also loaded with 48 cars and motorcycles in addition to thepassengers.
This is the third vessel sinking in Indonesia over the past 15 days. OnJune 18, a vessel carrying nearly 200 passengers capsized and sank on LakeToba, a well-known tourist destination in the country.
The latest reports showed that 21 people were rescued and three bodieswere found. Another 164 are missing and believed to have drowned. Approximately400 search and rescue staff, including police and army forces, have joined thesearch.
On June 22, a wooden ship carrying five passengers also capsized on LakeToba, killing one.
Toba is one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes and the widest inIndonesia, with an area of 1,145 sq.km. As a popular tourist destination, itlies in the north of Sumatra island, about a three-hour drive from Medan city.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than17,000 islands, due to weak enforcement of safety regulations.-VNA
VNA
