15 Die, 3 Missing in Kapuas Ferry Incident: BNPB

Jakarta (Antara) - Fifteen people have been found dead while three others are still unaccounted for after a ferry sank in the Kapuas river in Central Kalimantan on Tuesday, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. "Three more bodies were found at 4.15pm and 4.35m on Wednesday. They are now still under identification process at a hospital," he said in a written statement received here on Wednesday. Twelve others who died in the incident meanwhile have already been identified. "52 people have been saved. Seventy people were believed aboard the ferry. Five of them are now still being treated at the Kapuas hospital," he said. He said that 19 motorcycles had been evacuated, adding it was believed that the ferry carried 20 to 40 motorcycles. "Tomorrow morning a joint search and rescue team with personnel coming from Basarnas, the police, the TNI (military), BPBD, PMI, SKPD, volunteers and community members would continue tracking down the victims," he said. Sutopo said it was believed the ferry had been overloaded, adding according to the manifest 60 people were on board the boat. "However it is believed the number was around 70. Three people namely mechanic, crew member and ship owner have been held for investigation," he said. (*) reporting by azis kurmala