24-7-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesian authorities launched a search and rescue operation on Monday (Jul 24) after a ferry sank off Sulawesi island, resulting in the death of at least 15 people, according to the national search and rescue agency.
The ferry was carrying 40 passengers at the time of the incident, with 19 individuals still missing, while six managed to survive, as reported by the agency. The cause of the sinking, which occurred around midnight, remains unclear.
Muhamad Arafah, representing the local branch of the search and rescue agency, stated, “All the victims have been identified and handed over to the families, while the survivors are currently receiving treatment at local hospitals.”
Photos shared by the rescue agency depicted the victims’ bodies covered in cloth on the floor of a local hospital.
The ill-fated vessel was ferrying passengers across a bay in Muna island, located approximately 200km south of Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi province.
Ferries serve as a common mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands. However, accidents are frequent due to lax safety standards, often resulting in overloaded vessels lacking adequate life-saving equipment.
