17 people missing in Indonesia fishing accident
Indonesia – Divers were scouring the waters of the Java Sea on Sunday for 17 fishermen reported missing after their boat capsized following a crash involving a bulk carrier, a spokesman for Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.
The fishing boat with 32 aboard capsized after hitting the Indonesian bulk carrier MV Habco Pioneer late Saturday off Indramayu district, said the head of the Search and Rescue Agency, Deden Ridwansyah.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday. Indonesian authorities have deployed search and rescue teams to look for the missing people. So far, emergency responders have rescued 15 people.
The Habco Pioneer cargo vessel was sailing through the port of Merak from the Indonesian island of Borneo when it was hit by a local fishing boat in Indramayu waters, said officials.
Boat accidents are common in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, due to lax safety standards.
