Strong current claims four lives

YOGYAKARTA: Four tourists are believed to be dead after being swept away by currents during a Saturday night excursion at Parangtritis Beach, about 25 kilometers south of here.

The four tourists -- Ragil Padmadi, 24, Heru W, 25, Haryo Puspito, 19, and Nirbito, 25, -- were all from Semarang, Central Java.

The head of the Parangtritis search and rescue unit, Suroyo, said the four young men had been playing in the water late on Saturday night when they were swept away by the infamous strong currents, which annually claims the lives of several unsuspecting tourist.

"After receiving a report we immediately launched a search but up until 6:20 a.m. we could only find one body, Ragil's," Suroyo said as quoted by Antara.

"The whereabouts of the other three are unknown. We will continue the search," he added.