A survivor (center) of the sinking of a ferry, rescued by rescuers, arrives at the port of Kotabaru, on May 29 in Indonesia-AFP
Thirty-one people were rescued and eleven others were still being sought Monday, May 30, after an Indonesian ferry sank in the Makassar Strait, which separates the islands of Sulawesi and Borneo, authorities said.
Rescuers quickly organized and several tugs and fishing boats picked up survivors and brought them to shore after the KM Ladang Pertiwi, which was crossing the strait in the center of the Southeast Asian archipelago, sank Thursday, May 26.
“So far 31 people have been rescued and we are still looking for 11 more missing people,” the head of the local rescue team Djunaidi said Monday, May 30.
The survivors “have returned home and are generally in good health,” he added.
The rescue services deployed a helicopter and extended the search area to 20 nautical miles around the site of the sinking.
Unfortunately, the vessel did not have a permit to carry passengers and both the captain and the owner were summoned for questioning, the official said.
In addition, the vessel did not have a passenger list, but authorities estimate that it was carrying 42 people when the accident occurred.
Comment here