Up to 43 People Missing After Ferry Sinks in Indonesia - Reports

BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2022) An Indonesian ferry sank off the coast of South Sulawesi province, with 17 people rescued and up to 43 people missing, the Indonesian news agency ANTARA reported on Saturday.

The KM Ladang Pratiwi ferry, presumably carrying 60 passengers and cargo on board, departed on Wednesday from the port of the capital of South Sulawesi, Makasara, to one of the nearby islands. The ferry sent a distress call on Thursday, but the rescuers managed to reach the shipwreck area only on Friday, managing to find and save 17 people, the agency reported.

The search and rescue operation continues all day on Saturday, the agency added.

There is no information on about 43 people yet, the agency reports, citing port officials.

According to other news outlets, including Kompas and Tempo, there could be nearly 50 people on the ship, with 26 still missing.

Shipwrecks are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are a popular mode of transport. In 2018, In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in Lake Toba on the Sumatra island.