Search and rescue operations off the rugged coast of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island entered a critical phase as maritime authorities confirmed that the confirmed death toll from a capsized passenger ferry reached sixty-six. National search agency vessels, naval patrol ships, and local fishing fleets continued combing stormy seas across expanded maritime search grids in search of missing passengers.
The heavily loaded wooden ferry was navigating between remote coastal archipelagoes when severe offshore squalls and towering swells engulfed the vessel, causing catastrophic engine flooding and a rapid rollover. Maritime investigators revealed that the vessel lacked updated passenger manifests and carried inadequate life raft supplies, complicating efforts to verify the exact number of individuals aboard at the time of the disaster.
Disaster relief coordination centers established family assistance hubs at nearby municipal ports, providing psychological counseling and facilitating forensic identification for grieving relatives. Indonesian transportation ministry officials pledged an exhaustive review of regional maritime safety licensing, promising criminal negligence prosecutions against operating companies flouting vessel capacity restrictions.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-international-breaking-news-today-september-27/liveblog/134517376.cms