Search for 44 missing from Indonesia boat continues

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia

Rescuers are continuing to search for 44 people missing after a boat carrying Indonesian migrant workers sank in the waters of Riau Islands province, leaving at least 18 dead.

National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Anadolu Agency on Thursday that “joint SAR [Search and Rescue] teams are trying to look for the missing victims around the scene."

He revised the total number of people missing from 93 people to 98 passengers and three crew.

"But because there is no manifest, the passenger data collection is proving difficult," he added.

The boat sank in a storm after hitting a reef Wednesday morning off Batam island while returning from Malaysia.

As of Wednesday night, 18 people were confirmed dead while 39 others survived.

Around 280 search and rescue agency personnel have been hampered by strong currents in their efforts to find the missing.

On Wednesday, the Jakarta Post quoted Riau Islands Police Chief Brig. Gen. Sambudi Gusdian as saying that police suspected the boat was overloaded and heard reports of the voyage being organized illegally.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.