Two killed, seven missing as car plunges into lake

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least two people were killed and seven others missing after a minibus plunged into a lake in Solok regency, West Sumatra, on Sunday morning, officials said.

The missing passengers were feared dead as the vehicle went into Lake Singkarak at around 8 a.m.

At least one passenger, identified as Yusmardi, was found alive, while two bodies were found floating in the lake near the accident site.

It was not clear however whether the driver of the ill-fated Bintang Serambi Wisata minibus was among the dead or whether he survived and fled.

Officials said the car was carrying 10 people including the driver.

Witnesses and other local residents told Antara that the minibus was speeding along the highway next to the lake. Due to the high speed, the driver lost control of the vehicle that immediately plowed into the lake.

Solok Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Untung Subagio said the police had dispatched a search and rescue team to find the missing passengers as well as the exact spot where the van crashed into the lake.

The search and rescue team, assisted by local residents, identified the location of the accident at Jorong Kubangan, Nagari, Kacang, just near the border between Solok and Tanah Datar regency.

The car was serving the Dumai-Padang route through Solok. It was traveling to Solok to drop off a passenger in the town.

Meanwhile, in Papua a search and rescue team has recovered more bodies from ferry disaster last week. The overloaded ferry had more than 200 people on board at the time it capsized.

Head of the Papua search and rescue office Sumpeno Yuwono said that a total of 29 bodies had been recovered and 15 survivors had been accounted for, as search operations continued, DPA reported on Saturday.

According to Yuwono, most of the bodies recovered were badly mutilated and could not be identified.

The recovered bodies were buried immediately at nearby beaches, he said. However, many newspapers put the number of dead in the July 7 accident higher.

Minister of Transportation Minister Hatta Radjasa reportedly said that as many as 53 bodies had been recovered.

The 150-ton Digoel ferry was officially reported to be carrying 47 people, including 12 crew members, but survivors told authorities the number of people on board exceeded 200 when it sank about seven hours after leaving Merauke port en route to the Papua district of Tanah Merah.

The vessel was thought to be carrying heavy equipment, including bulldozers, cement and other construction materials, as well as 40 tons of diesel oil, when it capsized.

Rescue officials quoted survivors as saying that the ship was hit by waves and immediately took in water, making the vessel unstable before sinking quickly in high seas.

Boat accidents are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago where safety rules are poorly enforced and rescue vessels are often unavailable.