Three days after a cargo ship sank in Makasar Strait off the coast of Indonesia, 10 more survivors were found, including the captain and other crew.
Key points:
- Authorities say the 10 survivors are safe and in good condition
- The search and rescue team is searching for the remaining 11 passengers
- Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands
Of a total of 42 people on board, 31 have been rescued since search and rescue operations began on Saturday, said Djunaidi, head of the provincial search and rescue agency. Like many Indonesians, Djunaidi has only one name.
KM Ladang Pertiwi 02 sank in bad weather on Friday afternoon. The ship left Thursday from a Makasar seaport bound for Kalmas Island in Pangkep Regency, South Sulawesi Province, with stops along its route to visit some islands in the Makasar Strait.
The 10 survivors rescued on Monday morning by a local fisherman were taken to their home on the island of Pamantauan, located in the Makasar Strait.
“They are safe and in good condition,” Djunaidi said.
The sunken ship was initially said to be a passenger ferry, but Djunaidi later clarified that it was a cargo ship carrying construction materials.
Thirty-six passengers had requested a ride on the boat with their six crew.
The search and rescue team is searching for the remaining 11 passengers, authorities said.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used because transportation and safety regulations may expire.
In 2018, a crowded ferry with about 200 people on board sank in a deep volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra province and killed 167 people.
In one of the worst disasters recorded in the country, a crowded passenger ship sank in February 1999 with 332 people on board.
There were only 20 survivors.
AP