Death toll in Indonesian ferry boat fire reaches 20

Death toll in Indonesian ferry boat fire reaches 20

2011-02-01 09:44:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll in Friday's ferry boat fire in Indonesia's Sunda Strait has risen to 20 after two more bodies were found on Monday, officials said.

Investigative teams found two more bodies on the Laut Teduh II Ferry, but the bodies were completely charred and only the skull remained intact. The first body was found near the back door and the second was about 50 meters (164 feet) away from the first, officials explained.

According to the rescue team, the bodies' position suggest that both individuals were sleeping when the fire broke out, and by the time they were awoken, the fire was too large, making it impossible for them to escape or go anywhere.

The fire broke out last Friday at around 3 a.m. local time when the ferry was about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) off the coast of Merak in West Java.

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