Ferry Sinks in Indonesia, Nine Dead

According to a search and rescue officer, at least nine bodies have been found after a ferry sank due to poor weather off the shore of Indonesian island.

On Monday night, the KM Cahaya Arafah overturned off the coast of Ternate island in Indonesia, sparking a search and rescue effort for 13 individuals who went missing.

The Ternate search and rescue service released a statement stating that rescuers discovered four bodies on Wednesday night and five bodies on the fourth day of the search.

Four people have not been found.

On its way to the neighboring Halmahera island, the boat had 77 passengers and staff members on board.

Following the sinking, 64 passengers were transported to a nearby village.

Local residents had sailed out in their longboats to assist search and rescue personnel aboard a vessel.
Marine accidents are common in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, where people rely on ferries and small boats to travel around despite poor safety standards.

In May, a ferry carrying more than 800 passengers grounded in shallow water off the coast of East Nusa Tenggara province and remained stuck two days. There were no injuries in that collision.
On Sumatra island, a ferry capsized in one of the deepest lakes in the world in 2018, killing over 150 passengers.