The death count of a ferry sinking in the waters of South Sulawesi on 26 May, increased to 19. In addition, the search and rescue operation has been called off after 10 days.
The KM Ladang Pertiwi had run out of fuel and eventually sunk in poor weather conditions as it was sailing in the Makassar Strait of the South Sulawesi province.
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News of the accident reached the officials after two days, prompting a search and rescue mission, involving tugboats and local fishermen, who were passing via the strait.
Authorities managed to rescue 31 crew members and passengers, discovering four bodies. About 15 were declared missing before the search effort was stopped. Those who have been missing are presumed dead.
The captain of the vessel, who survived the sinking, had been named as a suspect for allowing passengers without a relevant permit, last week. The owner of the ship was also named and thought to be a suspect as it hired crew members who lacked proper qualifications, per reports from the local media.
