Five killed as boat sinks off Maluku

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least five people have drowned and several others are missing after a strong wave capsized a speedboat in the waters off Sirisori Islam village in Maluku on Friday.

There were 10 survivors from the accident that took place at about 11:30 a.m. local time. They are listed in intensive care with serious injuries at Saparua Public Hospital, the Antara news agency reported.

Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Bambang Sutrisno said the Imanuel sank after a strong wave hit the boat.

The vessel was carrying 16 passengers from the town of Sapurua to the villages of Ouw and Ulath, he added.

Bambang said that among the injured survivors were two members of the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) and he expressed concern over the fatal accident.

He said he had ordered his subordinates to deploy personnel to assist in searching for those missing.

The accident took place one day after 10 people were reported missing after a freighter carrying 12 passengers sank during a storm in the waters off Tiku, some 95 kilometers north of the West Sumatra capital of Padang.

However, all the missing passengers were found alive on Friday.

The KM Surya Baru II, bound for Nias island in North Sumatra, capsized some five nautical miles off Tiku Beach in Agam regency at dawn on Thursday. The vessel had left Muara Padang Port on Wednesday afternoon, carrying 5,000 containers of cement along with the passengers.