At least 15 dead, 19 missing after ferry sinks in central Indonesia
Jakarta, Jul 24 (EFE).- At least 15 people have died and 19 are missing after a ferry sank off Indonesia’s central island of Sulawesi, authorities said Monday.
The boat, carrying about 40 people, sank around midnight on Sunday while crossing from Lanto village to Lagili village in the province of Southeast Sulawesi.
Six people were rescued alive and an operation was launched with boats and divers to search for those missing, local search and rescue agency head Muhammad Arafah said.
Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor infrastructure, overloading of boats with people and cargo, lax enforcement of safety regulations and inclement weather.
Boats are one of the main modes of transportation in the Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and a population of over 270 million.
In 2018, at least 160 people died in the sinking of an overloaded ferry in Lake Toba, Sumatra. EFE
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