Rescuers search for survivors of Indonesian boat sinking
Indonesian rescue workers fought heavy rains and 2m waves in a search for survivors after a boat with at least 80 passengers on board sank in Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination in North Sumatra.
Relatives of missing passengers of KM Sinar Bangun boat (Source: AP)Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesian rescue workers fought heavy rains and 2m waves in a search for survivors after a boat with at least 80 passengers on board sank in Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination in North Sumatra.
An estimated 18 people had been rescued and one passenger was confirmed dead after the boat sank on June 18. There remain 49 others still missing based on information provided by their relatives.
About 100 rescue personnel, including military and police officers, were deployed in the search.
Spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency of Indonesia Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the KM Sinar Bangun boat sank at about 5:30 p.m when it was sailing from Samosir, a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Toba, to Parapat town.
Initial estimates were that 80 people were on board but the real number may range from 70 to 130 as there was no passenger manifest.
It was not immediately clear if foreigners were among the missing passengers.
Most of the passengers are holidaymakers enjoying the country's 12-day-long Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The 3,000-square-kilometre lake, which is the largest volcanic lake in the world, is a popular spot for local and international tourists.
Boat and ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.-VNA
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