Eighteen feared dead after boat sinks off northern coast of Papua

Eighteen feared dead after boat sinks off northern coast of Papua

Eighteen people including 11 children are missing feared dead
after their boat capsized in huge waves off the northern coast of
the Indonesian province of Papua, an official said on Sunday. The
boat carrying 19 people sank Tuesday about three miles from the
town of Sarmi, said Djoko Sungkowo of Papua's Search and Rescue
agency. Speaking from his office in Papua's capital Jayapura,
Sungkowo said only one man survived the accident by swimming to
Sarmi. There were 11 children and some women aboard the boat, he
said, adding that it may have been overloaded. A search was still
underway involving ships and helicopters, he added. Boat
accidents are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago where
safety rules are poorly enforced and rescue vessels are often
unavailable. -- AP