Jakarta: An overloaded passenger-speed boat sank in the waters off Indonesia’s western province of Riau, leaving at least 11 people dead and more than nine others missing, a rescuer said.
The speed boat, SB Evelyn Calisca 01, sank in the waters off Pulau Burung of Indragiri Hilir district of the province, nearly 30 minutes after departing from a seaport in the district. The boat was heading to a seaport in Tanjung Pinang, the capital of Riau Islands province, said I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the provincial search and rescue office, on Thursday.
“Now, the number of casualties reached 11 people, and over nine others are confirmed to be missing,” he said in a statement received by Xinhua.
Sidakarya said that the number of casualties and missing people may rise as many passengers were not listed in the manifest, Xinhua news agency reported.
He added that 58 people were rescued by the joint rescue team comprised of the search and rescue office, soldiers, policemen and volunteers.
Within the next few days, the search and rescue office would wait for reports from relatives or family about the loss of their members, Kukuh Widodo, press officer at the search and rescue office in Riau province, told Xinhua by phone.
“This speed boat is too small for carrying more than 80 people. It was seriously overloaded,” he said.
(IANS)
