10 bodies found after sinking

10 bodies found after sinking

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Rescue workers from the Pakue subdistrict have discovered 10 more bodies of people drowned when two boats sank in rough seas in Bone Bay, South Sulawesi, on Monday.

As of yesterday, estimates of the number of casualties in the accident still varied. The Kompas daily reported that 23 people had been found dead, saying that 125 others were alive and had been brought to safety.

The Antara news agency quoted sources at the Kolaka military division, which was involved in the rescue operation, as saying that eight bodies were discovered on Thursday and two others yesterday in the waters off Batunong, in the north of Kolaka regency.

Among the eight victims discovered on Thursday were Baba, aged 65, Musa Luang, 38, and Nasira, 6. The other five have yet to be identified. The two victims found yesterday were Andi Murni, 25 and Andi Tahir, 25.

Rescue workers were still searching yesterday for 33 people still unaccounted for since the accident.

The two ships, the KM Bunga Coklat 01 and the KM Belibis 02, which were en route from Kolaka to Siwa in South Sulawesi when the tragedy occurred on Monday afternoon. According to one report, the Belibis responded to a distress call from the Bunga Coklat, sinking as it tried to accommodate passengers from the other boat.

According to Kolaka harbor officials, the total number of passengers aboard both boats was 168.

Sources said that news of the Monday's accident only reached the Kolaka authorities on Thursday because of poor communication. (rms)