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Ferry carrying 80 sinks in Indonesia’s Lake Toba
At least half a dozen vessels were searching for survivors, an official said.
A night-time search and rescue effort is underway after a ferry carrying about 80 passengers sank Monday in a popular lake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing at least one person.
Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the boat sank in bad weather at about 5:30 p.m.
He said 18 people have been rescued so far and one death was confirmed after the accident on Lake Toba, which comes at the end of holidays marking the Muslim holy month.
The 1,145-square kilometer (440-square mile) lake, formed out of an ancient super volcano, is a popular sightseeing destination.
Maher Tamba, an official with the local disaster agency, said at least half a dozen vessels were searching for survivors. Bad weather and high waves were hampering the search, he said.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, due to weak enforcement of safety regulations.
