Ferry: More survivors found

2006-06-23 13:33

Jakarta - More survivors were found on Friday after a ferry sank in heavy seas off Indonesia's Sumatra island, but 23 were still missing, according to an official.

Frits Agamsyah, the port administrator in Sibolga, North Sumatra province, said a vessel operated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) plucked 11 people from waters between the islands of Bintana and Mursala just after midnight.

Agamsyah said: "They were found floating wearing life jackets." He added that 93 survivors had now been rescued and the search for those still missing was continuing.

Foreigners not among the missing

Officials said 116 people, including a crew of 12, were originally on board the privately-operated Surya Makmur Indah after it departed Sibolga on Sumatra's west coast for Gunung Sitoli, the main town on Nias Island.

Agamsyah said contrary to what other officials said on Thursday, three foreigners were not among the missing. The trio had boarded another ship and arrived safely at their destination.

The WFP said that its landing craft was "manoeuvring through bad weather", off Mursala, after the ship's captain spotted the latest survivors - six men, four women and one child.

'I hope my child is safe'

Marni Tanjung, a 30-year-old survivor whose child was still missing, said the ship was battered by huge waves at midnight on Wednesday and water started to pour in.

She said: "We went upstairs with my child and the lights were out. At 03:00, we were given life jackets. Water was everywhere and everybody was crying. We surrendered our fate to Allah and I hope my child is safe."

Officials said that the ill-fated ferry departed Sibolga at 21:00 on Wednesday for the 140km journey, but lost all contact with port authorities about two hours later.

Nias was one of the areas hit by a massive 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed more than 220 000 people around the Indian Ocean.

Three months later, Nias was rocked by an 8.7-magnitude quake, which killed 850 people.

- AFP