29 Drown, 41 Missing In Sulawesi Boat Capsize

The number of deaths in the ferry that capsized in the waters of Selayar Island, South Sulawesi Tuesday, has risen to 29, while 41 others are still missing.

JAKARTA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2018 ) :The number of deaths in the ferry that capsized in the waters of Selayar Island, South Sulawesi Tuesday, has risen to 29, while 41 others are still missing.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said the KM Lestari Maju carrying 139 passengers and 48 vehicles, capsized after a leakage and also bad weather conditions.

He said in a statement that 29 people were confirmed dead, while 69 passengers survived.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo was quoted as saying online that he expressed regret over the tragedy, which he said was because of negligence and the lack of safety.

"In addition to poor weather conditions, the tragedy is also due to unethical service factors," he said.

On June 18, a passenger boat KM Sinar Bangun capsized in the waters of Lake Toba, North Sumatra.

The vessel with a capacity of not more than 80 passengers is believed to have carried 189 passengers.

The Indonesian government ended the search operation at the lake yesterday after families of the victims agreed that it be called off after 15-days. The lake is over 450 metres deep.