Death toll from Indonesian boat accident rises to 9

Death toll from Indonesian boat accident rises to 9

2011-08-27 01:23:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

SAMPIT, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll has risen to nine after Wednesday's passenger speed boat accident on the Indonesian island of Borneo, local media reported on Friday.

The accident happened Wednesday morning at around 8.30 a.m. local time when a strong wave struck the Anugerah Jaya speed boat, which was carrying around 40 passengers and traveling in the Cemeti Strait between Kotawaringin Timur and Katingan districts in Central Borneo.

Adjunct Commissioner Sumarya of the Central Kalimantan water police told Antara news agency that the nine bodies have been recovered. Initial reports had confirmed the death of six people, while three others remained missing, but local fishermen found the last three bodies early Friday morning not far from the site of the accident.

The fatalities are all members of one family who had just arrived to the region to celebrate the Idul Fitri festivities, which mark the end of the Ramadan fasting month. They were from the city of Surabaya, East Java.

According to the Executive Administrator of Sampit Seaport Edi Sumarsono, the passenger speed boat was operating illegally as it did not have the permits or paperwork. Local authorities, meanwhile, stopped the search and rescue operations as all of the missing victims had been found.

The Anugerah Jaya speed boat had departed at 7 a.m. local time on Wednesday from the Mentawai Baru Hilir in the Kotawaringin Timur district, Adjunct Commissioner Sudirman, spokesman of the Katingan water police, had previously said. Just 90 minutes after leaving, the boat, led by skipper Aliansyah, capsized.

The recovered bodies were transferred to Pegatan, Katingan district in Central Borneo. They were identified as Krisno Mulyo Utomo, Tugiyati, Rudi, Rumaningsih, Doni, Sri Wilujeng, Nur Huda, Nisa and Wika Mareta Pangesti.

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