Jakarta, Jul. 24, (dpa/GNA) – A ferry carrying 48 people celebrating their hometown’s anniversary capsized and sank overnight off Indonesia’s Southeast Sulawesi province, leaving at least 15 dead and 33 survivors, a search official said Monday.
The ferry was crossing Mawasangka Bay, travelling between two villages in Buton Tengah district, when it capsized around midnight (1400 GMT), said Muhammad Arafah, head of the search and rescue agency in the provincial capital Kendari.
The agency had earlier said the vessel was carrying 40 people and that 19 were missing. Arafah later corrected the figures after finding out that some survivors had gone home without reporting to the authorities.
“Out of the 48 people on board the ferry, 33 survived the accident,” he said.
The agency said it had deployed two rescue boats and three rubber boats and diving equipment, but the search was called off later in the day.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but the agency said the weather was clear and the waves were moderate at the time of the incident.
The ferry was part of a celebration for the anniversary of Buton Tengah, which was established in 2014.
Ferry accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where many people rely on boats for transportation. Poor safety standards and overloading often contribute to the disasters.
GNA