Five killed as boat sinks off Maluku

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.