Five Children Still Unaccounted for After Boat Accident in Larantuka

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (Antara) - The head of Flores Timur district, Yoseph Lagadoni Herin, said five school children remain unaccounted for following Friday's boat accident in Larantuka. "Until this morning, five passengers are still unaccounted for. They are all elementary school children who joined the pilgrimage with their parents," he said here on Saturday. The fishing boat Nelayan Bhakti was ferrying pilgrims to bring the statue of Jesus from Rewindo Coast to Larantuka City for the celebration of Good Friday, when it capsized in the Gonzalu Strait due to bad weather. On Good Friday, people in Larantuka parade the statue through the sea along with tens of boats and thousands of pilgrims from East Nusa Tenggara and other places. So far, 57 people have been found, excluding crew members, and seven of them were reported dead, while two others were in critical conditions, Yoseph said. Search efforts are still continuing, carried out by teams from the police and the regional disaster mitigation agency BPBD. Yoseph could not confirm the exact number of victims. The number is not known, but a list of passengers is being compiled by deputy district Chief Valens Tukan. He said the district administration has opened a command post in the Lewolere village administration office to receive reports from victims' families. "The information is still confusing, but it is hoped the number of victims could be confirmed by this evening, at the latest," he said. Meanwhile, on Saturday President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. "We are saddened by the accident befalling the boat in Larantuka, where seven of our brothers were killed and four others are still missing," the president said. xx"I ask that those suffering from injuries be given the best medical treatment that is possible. The accident must be investigated and those who were negligent must be punished," the President said on his twitter account on Saturday. (*) reporting by bernadus tokan