Indonesia ferry disaster death toll rises to 19

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06th Jun, 2022. 03:59 pm
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The KM Ladang Pertiwi ran out of fuel and sank while travelling through Indonesia’s Makassar Strait in the region of South Sulawesi.
The ship’s captain, who survived the disaster, was designated as a suspect last week for transporting passengers without required permit.
In Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country of over 17,000 islands, marine accidents are widespread.

Authorities reported the death toll from a ferry that sank in Indonesian waters grew to 19 on Monday after a 10-day search and rescue mission was called off.

On May 26, the KM Ladang Pertiwi ran out of fuel and sank while travelling through Indonesia’s Makassar Strait in the region of South Sulawesi.

Officials didn’t learn about the disaster until two days later, prompting a search and rescue operation including local fishermen and tugboats passing through the strait.

Before the search was called off, authorities recovered 31 passengers and crew members, discovered four deaths, and declared 15 people missing.

Those who have been missing for a long time are now presumed dead.

“We are calling off the search because there are no signs that more victims could be found,” said Djunaidi, the local search and rescue head, who goes by one name like many Indonesians.

As per local media, the ship’s captain, who survived the disaster, was designated as a suspect last week for transporting passengers without the required permit, and the ship’s owner was named as a suspect for employing crew without the requisite qualifications.

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