An Indonesian ferry sank after sustaining a major fire in the waters off Banggai Laut, Central Sulawesi on Friday. At least 10 people have been reported dead as a result from the accident, including two kids below 5 years old, while about 20 passengers are still unaccounted for.
About 150 people were onboard the ill-fated motorboat ‘Fungka Permata V’, when it departed Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi, bound for Taliabo, Maluku Utara.
From them, an estimated 120 passengers managed to grab life buoys and other floating materials to keep them afloat until the search and rescue teams arrived at about 17.00 local time, with assistance from the passenger vessel ‘Lapolo Ekspres’. The rescuers also included military and police officers and BPBD officers.
According to initial information, the fire erupted in the noon hours of Friday, due to engine overheating as a result from a coolant system failure, Antara news reported.
The exact number of the deceased and the missing persons is yet to be determined, because the vessel’s manifest did not reflect the actual number of people onboard.
