One person is dead and at least 128 passengers are missing after a ferry sank in Indonesia’s Lake Toba.
“Many people have reported their relatives missing,” Budiawan, head of the search and rescue agency based in the nearby city of Medan, told Reuters on Tuesday.
Authorities had previously said at least 80 people were thought to be on board the ferry that sank in rough weather on Monday night.
“Due to bad weather and high waves, the ferry lost control. We suspect (the accident) was due to the breaking of the rudder,” head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) for North Sumatra, Riadil Lubis told EFE.
Local police chief Marudut Liberty Panjaitan earlier reported that 18 people had been rescued and one death confirmed.
Rescue operations had to be halted two hours on Tuesday morning owing to bad weather.
Last week, at least 16 people died when another boat had sank near the southern coast of Celebes in the central region of the archipelago.
Indonesia records more accidents during the holiday period following the month of Ramadan when millions of people travel around the country putting pressure on the precarious infrastructure.
Source: SBS News
Photo courtesy of Lazuardy Fahmi, AP