Ferry Fungka Permata V bursts into flames (Source: news.okezone.com)
At least 10 people were killed and 11 others still missing after a passenger ferry carrying 147 people caught fire and sank in central Indonesia on September 14.
The ferry Fungka Permata V was on its way from Bau-Bau port of Southeast Sulawesi province to Sanana port in North Maluku province, about 520km away, when it caught fire in waters off Central Sulawesi province’s Banggai Regency.
Rescuers were deployed to the site and rescued 126 passengers. Investigation into the accident is underway.
In July, a ferry with over 140 people on board also sank in waters off the coast of central Indonesia, leaving at least 29 dead.
The accident happened two weeks after a vessel sank on Indonesia’s Lake Toba that left around 170 dead.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, due to weak enforcement of safety regulations.
VNA
