Five Survivors Rescued After Indonesian Ferry Capsizes

Kathmandu. Five passengers of a passenger boat that sank in the waters of eastern Indonesia have been rescued alive after floating in the sea for three days. Rescue officials informed on Sunday that a seven-year-old girl was among those rescued.

The boat, carrying more than seventy passengers, sank near Selayar Island in the south of Sulawesi Island on Wednesday. The rescued passengers said they were initially in a group of 25 who were reported missing. However, they were separated from other passengers due to strong winds.

According to local search and rescue official Muhammad Arif Anwar, they saved themselves with the help of floating materials after the boat sank. "They made a temporary floating device by tying large plastic containers (jerry cans) and pieces of cork with rope and stayed on it," he told AFP.

Local fishermen rescued them on Saturday afternoon and informed the authorities via radio. They were found weak and tired as they had to remain in the sea for several days without adequate food and water. However, Arif said they managed to keep themselves alive by eating instant noodles and biscuits.

The search for other missing passengers is ongoing. Five large ships, one surveillance aircraft, and one helicopter have been deployed in the search operation. According to rescue officials, although the official passenger list of the boat had 50 names, further investigation revealed that 78 people were on board.

It is considered normal in Indonesia for there to be a difference between the official passenger details of a boat and the actual number of passengers. Due to weak safety standards and bad weather, maritime accidents occur frequently here.

Earlier in January, three Spanish tourists died and one child went missing in a boat accident in the waters of eastern Indonesia.