Seven dead, 10 missing in boat accident
Seven dead, 10 missing in boat accident
Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau
Seven people died and 10 others are missing after a traditional
boat loaded with passengers sank late on Monday in the waters off
Topang island, Bengkalis regency, Riau province, police said on
Wednesday.
Bengkalis Police chief Sr. Comr. Adj. Slamet Rianto said
authorities first became concerned when the boat did not arrive
as scheduled at Tanjung Samak, Rangsang subdistrict, Bengkalis
regency, from its departure point of Penyalai island, Teluk
Dalam, Pelalawan regency.
The boat was reportedly carrying 58 passengers, far above its
maximum capacity of 40 passengers.
"As of Wednesday afternoon, seven passengers have died, 41
were rescued and the remaining 10 are still missing. But we have
yet to receive any information on the identities of the victims,"
Slamet said.
The authorities have sent rescue teams and vessels to search
for the 10 missing passengers.
He said most of the passengers were farmers from Topang
village, Tanjung Samak Sei Tohor and Serapung village.
Tebingtinggi District Military head Capt. Inf. S.L. Harahap
said accident survivors told authorities large waves and strong
winds caused the boat to sink.
Separately, Agence France-Presse reported that four sailors
were missing and feared drowned after two cargo ships collided in
a strait off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Provincial port administrator Indra Prayitna said the four men
were part of the 28-man crew aboard the Indonesian-flagged KM
Pagaruyung cargo vessel, which collided on Tuesday with a
Liberian freighter in the Bangka Strait off South Sumatra
province.
The other 24 sailors on the KM Pagaruyung drifted in the sea
for five hours before being rescued by a passing ship, Prayitna
told AFP.
"At the moment, we are still searching for the four men but we
fear they might have drowned," he said, adding that the KM
Pagaruyung was carrying cement.
The Liberian freighter suffered little damage and continued
sailing under naval supervision to Jakarta.
Boats are a common form of public transportation here and
accidents frequently occur, in part because safety rules are
poorly enforced.