Wife dies, husband missing in accident

Wife dies, husband missing in accident

PADANG, West Sumatra: A woman was reported killed on Monday
and her husband missing when their canoe sank after being swamped
by large waves off the coast of Padang, West Sumatra.

Local fishermen said the couple, farmers from Air Manis in
South Padang subdistrict, were paddling home in their canoe at
around 7 p.m. on Sunday after visiting their clove plantation on
Pisang Gadang Island, only a 15-minute trip by small boat from
the nearby beach, when the canoe was swamped, said a fisherman
identified only as Adi.

He said he and other local people immediately started
searching for the couple but only found Nanun, 63, floating dead
in the water. Her 68-year-old husband, Mahmud, remains missing,
Adi added.

A search party comprising 16 members, together with six water
police officers, was also deployed to find Mahmud. As of Monday
morning, they had still failed to do so.

Last December, nine out of 12 university students were drowned
after their boat capsized in the Muara Anai river in Padang Sarai
Kota.

The students were trying to cross the flood-swollen river on
board the fishing boat. -- JP