Boat capsizes, killing four

Boat capsizes, killing four

DILI, East Timor: Four people drowned Thursday evening when
their boat capsized after hitting a rock during a heavy storm
only 150 meters from Atauro island.

"All of the victims were women including a seven-month
pregnant woman, Dominggas Belo. Their remains have been brought
to their families," Antara quoted the boat's owner, Jeka J.Maria
Alves, as saying yesterday.

A military rescue operation found the bodies five hours after
the incident about one kilometer from the sight of the accident.

The boat, Aik Motain, regularly shuttled between Dili and the
nearby island of Atauro, some 26 nautical miles away.

The boat was filled to capacity with 18 passengers and
construction material, such as cement and steel pipes.

As it was coming at the end of its four-hour journey and
preparing to dock, large waves hit the boat pushing its stern
into the rocks.