At least 15 people died after an Indonesian ferry sank off Sulawesi Island, reported the Associated Press. Authorities said that the ferry was overcrowded and it capsized off the coast. The remaining 33 passengers on board were rescued after the accident on Sunday night, Reuters mentioned citing a national search and rescue agency. It added that two of the victims were in hospital. Photos shared by the agency showed bodies covered in cloth on the floor of the hospital, as per Reuters. The reason for the sinking of the ferry is still unclear.
According to the report, the vessel was ferrying people across a distance of just 1 kilometre (just over half a mile) in Muna island, about 200 km (124 miles) south of Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi province. The journey was meant to be just 20 minutes long.
The agency stated that the teams searching for the missing were diving at the location where the vessel sank and patrolling nearby waters in rubber boats.
The report stated that ferries are a common mode of transport in Indonesia. Notably, Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands and ferries are a common form of transportation.
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