Post by Retrovision on Apr 18, 2006 5:15:45 GMT -8
Another ferry sinks, story courtesy of NEWS.BBC.CO.UK :
(story found here: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4917618.stm )
All but one of 60 people on board a ferry that sank off Indonesia's east coast have survived, officials say.
The boat went down in bad weather close to Rote Island, 2,000km (1,250 miles) east of Jakarta, on Monday evening.
Ships and an aeroplane joined rescue efforts amid initial reports that up to 100 people may have been on board.
Accidents at sea are not uncommon in Indonesia. A ferry sank in the same waters in February with the loss of as many as 40 lives.
Swam ashore
The ferry's captain told the authorities that the boat had been carrying 54 passengers and six crew when it sank.
By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, 59 people had been able to swim ashore or were picked up by rescuers, port official Piter Fina said.
Police spokesman, Martin Raja, of nearby Kupang in West Timor, said 19 survivors had been taken to hospital on Rote Island.
Ferries are a common means of transport between Indonesia's many islands, but overcrowding often leads to accidents.
Safety standards are often not enforced, meaning boats are in poor condition and carry more passengers than regulations allow.
(story found here: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4917618.stm )
All but one of 60 people on board a ferry that sank off Indonesia's east coast have survived, officials say.
The boat went down in bad weather close to Rote Island, 2,000km (1,250 miles) east of Jakarta, on Monday evening.
Ships and an aeroplane joined rescue efforts amid initial reports that up to 100 people may have been on board.
Accidents at sea are not uncommon in Indonesia. A ferry sank in the same waters in February with the loss of as many as 40 lives.
Swam ashore
The ferry's captain told the authorities that the boat had been carrying 54 passengers and six crew when it sank.
By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, 59 people had been able to swim ashore or were picked up by rescuers, port official Piter Fina said.
Police spokesman, Martin Raja, of nearby Kupang in West Timor, said 19 survivors had been taken to hospital on Rote Island.
Ferries are a common means of transport between Indonesia's many islands, but overcrowding often leads to accidents.
Safety standards are often not enforced, meaning boats are in poor condition and carry more passengers than regulations allow.