A hydrographic survey located the ferry ‘Sinar Bangun’, which sank at Lake Toba, in Sumatra, on June 18. The ferry was located almost 1,500 underwater, sonar firm Mahakarya Geo Survey informed.
As Nanang Henky Suharto, the firm’s executive director explained, an unmanned submersible is needed to confirm the vessel’s identity, as at that depth it is impossible for any diver to carry out a recovery mission.
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Dozens of people are still missing and three have already been confirmed dead, after the ferry with about 80 people onboard sank, while underway in Lake Toba, in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province. An estimated 18 people were rescued.
The ‘Sinar Bangun’ ferry sank in heavy weather at around 5:30 pm (1030 GMT), about a mile from the port of Tigaras, carrying passengers from the lake’s Samosir Island, according to Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPT) spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as quoted by Reuters.
There are no further details on the exact causes of the accident to date. However, international media suggest the vessel was operating illegally with no manifest.
In addition to this incident, another boat sank with 43 people onboard, off Makassar on Sulawesi island, resulting in 13 dead, while a speedboat carrying 30 passengers sank off South Sumatra, killing at least two.
