30 feared dead in ferry chaos
2006-02-01 16:41
Jakarta - Rescuers searched on Wednesday for survivors after a ferry carrying scores of passengers capsized in heavy seas in eastern Indonesia, leaving at least 30 feared dead, a rescue official said.
The body of one person was recovered and 71 people were rescued after the vessel sank on Tuesday evening while travelling between Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, and the nearby island of Rote, the official said.
"The boat's manifest shows that it was carrying 82 passengers and a crew of 20," the official from the province's Search and Rescue Agency, who identified himself as Eri, told AFP.
He said that the boat had hit rough seas while heading for Rote and tried to turn back to Kupang but its engine had died. High waves then capsized it.
Three navy boats and a ship from the state-run ferry company were combing the area looking for survivors, Eri added.
An official from Kupang's port administration said that the boat had been properly equipped for the journey which normally takes about five hours.
"The boat had the all necessary certificates, radio communications and also the required safety jackets and life rafts," said the official, who gave his name as Dana.
"We have no report that there were more passengers than registered."
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, relies heavily on marine transportation, but weak enforcement of safety standards and regular overcrowding have led to frequent deadly accidents.
The state news agency Antara, meanwhile, reported on Wednesday that search and rescue teams in Central Sulawesi province had halted a search for victims of another boat mishap a week ago.
The accident drowned one person and left 11 people missing, it said.