Five people die in boat accident

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Five died and four others went missing when a motorboat carrying 48 schoolchildren collided with the Soopanava cargo boat in the Musi River, Musi Banyuasin regency, on Wednesday, Antara reported yesterday.

The remaining 39 students survived the accident.

Provincial police spokesman Lt. Col. Sardjo Sadjad said the five students who died were from state-run junior high school Mariaya Banyuasin I and Mariana elementary school.

Those who were missing were students of YP Mariana junior high school.

The police officer blamed the accident on the haze that limited visibility to only 15 meters. Police were still searching for the missing students.

Antara also reported on Wednesday that one person was killed and six others injured when a vessel exploded at the Bitung port recently.

Damu, 56, from Probolinggo, East Java, was killed on Sept. 30. Five other people were rushed to Budi Mulia Hospital nearby for treatment, while another, identified as 26-year-old S. Hamidi of the East Java town of Sidoarjo, was sent to Malalayang Hospital in Manado.

The news agency said the explosion was the first to happen, but did not elaborate. It also said the cause for the accident was still under investigation by the authorities. (swe)