Search teams have rescued 21 people from a raft, a day after their boat sank in rough seas.
Everyone on board the ship was found safely, said Muhammad Rizal, who heads the search and rescue office in Palu city.
Officials earlier reported that 27 people were missing, but survivors reported that six people listed on the manifest had cancelled their plans to join the trip.
Rescuers found the survivors, who were mostly fishing crew, on a raft about 46km from the place where the boat sank in the northern waters of Taliabu island.
The boat, Nazila 05, departed Taliabu island in North Maluku province just after dusk Sunday bound for Kema in North Sulawesi province, Muhammad said.
He said the Nazila 05 was frequently used to transport tourists and was also known locally as a fishing or small passenger vessel.
The owner of the Nazila 05 told authorities the boat’s captain had reported the vessel sank after its bow was broken by high waves during rough weather, and all crew managed to board a longboat before the ship went down.
Relatives reported the victims had tied themselves to a raft, and the National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas, said a rescue vessel was heading towards the raft’s estimated location just after dawn yesterday.
“All survivors located by rescuers will be taken to the nearby city of Gorontalo,” Muhammad said.
The search operation involved two rescue vessels and was assisted by local fishermen, the Basarnas said.
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, and boats are a common form of transportation. With lax safety standards and problems with overcrowding, accidents occur frequently. — AP
