Ferry Accident Kills 8 in Bandarlampung

Bandarlampung - At least eight people have been killed after a collision between a tanker and a ferry in the Sunda Strait in Lampung, Sumatra. "The rescue team found eight people dead, while the other 215 have survived," said Heru Purwanto, the Operation Manager of River, Lake and Crossing Transportation company (ASDP) at Bakauheni port on Wednesday. ¿Details about the cause of the accident are not available yet because the focus is on evacuation at the moment,¿ he added. Some 30 personnel from Lampung Police have been deployed to assist in the search and rescue operations. Jakarta Metropolitan Marine Police Senior Commissioner Edion said he did not have exact figures for the numbers of victims because the evacuation process was still ongoing. The deployed police personnel have been divided into four teams, one of which has reached the location of the accident. The KM Bahuga Jaya ferry collided with a bulk carrier ship when heading from Merak to Bakauheni. The ferry left from Merak port on Wednesday at 3 am (Jakarta time) and the ASDP office received news of the accident at 5.20 am. The ship sank four miles off Bakauheni port. (*)