15 Dead in Ferry Sinking in Indonesia

The National Search and Rescue Agency reported that Indonesian authorities are searching for missing passengers today, Monday, after a ferry sank off the island of Sulawesi, resulting in at least 15 deaths. The agency stated in a statement that among the 40 passengers on board, 19 are still missing, while six people have survived. The cause of the sinking, which occurred around midnight, is still unclear. Muhammad Arfa, from the local branch of the search and rescue agency, said, "All victims have been identified and handed over to their families, while the survivors are currently being treated in local hospitals." Images released by the rescue agency showed the bodies of the victims covered with pieces of cloth on the floor of the local hospital. The ferry was transporting people across a bay on the island of Muna, approximately 200 kilometers south of Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi province. Ferries are a common mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago with over 17,000 islands, and accidents are frequent due to lax safety standards that often allow for overloading of vessels without adequate lifesaving equipment.

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