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JAKARTA, Indonesia – (UPDATED) Indonesian search and rescue teams were seeking to reach a stricken ferry carrying more than 100 passengers Sunday December 20, local media said, after the boat was cast adrift in rough seas off Sulawesi island.
Rescuers were being hampered from reaching the ferry due to strong winds and high waves, with larger ships being enlisted to help navigate the choppy waters, local authorities told media outlet Republika.
Other reports dismissed earlier suggestions the boat had sunk, with local officials quoted saying it was adrift after running into trouble during a storm.
Earlier, transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata confirmed the ferry, carrying 118 passengers including 19 children, “had an accident as a result of large waves 4 to 5 metres high”.
A fast boat capable of negotiating the rough seas was en route, he added.
The ferry left Kolaka in southeast Sulawesi on Saturday morning bound for Siwa in the island’s west when it sent out a distress signal near its destination.
Local officials told AFP that authorities lost contact with the ferry when it encountered large waves, and a search and rescue mission was launched.
There had been warnings about “extreme” weather in the area in the days leading up to the accident, Barata said. – Rappler.com
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