JAKARTA, Aug 1 (NNN-ANTARA) – Four people were confirmed dead and one still missing, following a passenger boat accident in the eastern Indonesian province of Central Papua, a local authority said, today.
Papua Police spokesman, Ignatius Benny Prabowo, told local media that, the boat was carrying a total of 13 people from Port Arwana in Mimika region, to Potowaiburu region, at around 1.00 p.m. local time, amid bad weather. In the middle of the trip, the boat suddenly capsized by big waves, he explained.
The victims included several local company workers and security personnel. As many as eight people managed to survive. Search and rescue efforts are continuing for the one missing.
Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands, due to lax of safety standards.– NNN-ANTARA
