Two killed, seven missing as car plunges into lake<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
At least two people were killed and seven others missing after a
\nminibus plunged into a lake in Solok regency, West Sumatra, on
\nSunday morning, officials said.<\/p>\n
The missing passengers were feared dead as the vehicle went
\ninto Lake Singkarak at around 8 a.m.<\/p>\n
At least one passenger, identified as Yusmardi, was found
\nalive, while two bodies were found floating in the lake near the
\naccident site.<\/p>\n
It was not clear however whether the driver of the ill-fated
\nBintang Serambi Wisata minibus was among the dead or whether he
\nsurvived and fled.<\/p>\n
Officials said the car was carrying 10 people including the
\ndriver.<\/p>\n
Witnesses and other local residents told Antara that the
\nminibus was speeding along the highway next to the lake. Due to
\nthe high speed, the driver lost control of the vehicle that
\nimmediately plowed into the lake.<\/p>\n
Solok Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Untung Subagio said the
\npolice had dispatched a search and rescue team to find the
\nmissing passengers as well as the exact spot where the van
\ncrashed into the lake.<\/p>\n
The search and rescue team, assisted by local residents,
\nidentified the location of the accident at Jorong Kubangan,
\nNagari, Kacang, just near the border between Solok and Tanah
\nDatar regency.<\/p>\n
The car was serving the Dumai-Padang route through Solok. It
\nwas traveling to Solok to drop off a passenger in the town.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Papua a search and rescue team has recovered
\nmore bodies from ferry disaster last week. The overloaded ferry
\nhad more than 200 people on board at the time it capsized.<\/p>\n
Head of the Papua search and rescue office Sumpeno Yuwono said
\nthat a total of 29 bodies had been recovered and 15 survivors had
\nbeen accounted for, as search operations continued, DPA reported
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
According to Yuwono, most of the bodies recovered were badly
\nmutilated and could not be identified.<\/p>\n
The recovered bodies were buried immediately at nearby
\nbeaches, he said. However, many newspapers put the number of dead
\nin the July 7 accident higher.<\/p>\n
Minister of Transportation Minister Hatta Radjasa reportedly
\nsaid that as many as 53 bodies had been recovered.<\/p>\n
The 150-ton Digoel ferry was officially reported to be
\ncarrying 47 people, including 12 crew members, but survivors told
\nauthorities the number of people on board exceeded 200 when it
\nsank about seven hours after leaving Merauke port en route to the
\nPapua district of Tanah Merah.<\/p>\n
The vessel was thought to be carrying heavy equipment,
\nincluding bulldozers, cement and other construction materials, as
\nwell as 40 tons of diesel oil, when it capsized.<\/p>\n
Rescue officials quoted survivors as saying that the ship was
\nhit by waves and immediately took in water, making the vessel
\nunstable before sinking quickly in high seas.<\/p>\n
Boat accidents are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago
\nwhere safety rules are poorly enforced and rescue vessels are
\noften unavailable.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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