Indonesian rescuers at Lake Toba (Photo: AFP/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian police have arrested the captain of the passenger boat which capsized at Lake Toba, North Sumatra, causing the death of three and nearly 200 others go missing, said authorities on June 21.
The captain of the KM Sinar Bangun boat, identified as Tua Sagala, is also the boat owner.
Public relations officer of Indonesian police Yusri Yunus said that he has been detained to serve the investigation. However, police has yet to question him as the suspect is still traumatised after being saved from the boat. Tua Sagala is among 18 survivors in the accident.
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Indonesian authorities confirmed that three people were dead, while 193 people went missing, including children. It is one of the most serious waterway incidents in Indonesia.
The KM Sinar Bangun boat sank at about 5:30 p.m. as it sailed from Samosir, a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Toba to Parapat town. The boat is designed to carry only 43 passengers.
It was not immediately clear whether any foreigners were among the passengers. Most of the passengers are holidaymakers enjoying the country's 12-day-long Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The 3,000-square-kilometre Lake Toba, which is the largest volcanic lake in the world, is a popular spot for local and international tourists.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.-VNA
