Rescue teams search for survivors of Indonesian ferry disaster in torrid weather
Pematang Siantar/Jakarta — Indonesian rescue workers fought heavy rains and 2m waves on Tuesday in a search for survivors after a ferry with at least 80 passengers on board sank in Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination in North Sumatra. An estimated 18 people had been rescued and one passenger was confirmed dead after the ferry sank on Monday. About 100 rescue personnel, including military and police officials, were deployed in the search. It was not immediately clear if foreigners were among the missing passengers. "Our joint teams moved out at 7am," said Budiawan, head of the search and rescue agency in the nearby city of Medan, adding that the teams would work for as long as the weather allowed. "It might take time to find victims who drowned," he said, adding that some bodies may be trapped inside the sunken vessel. The wooden ferry had a capacity of 60 passengers but may have been carrying 80 people and dozens of motorcycles on Monday, said Sri Hardianto, an official at Indo...
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