Indonesian Boat Capsizes: Ten Dead, Five Missing

Published Aug 21, 2016 7:09 PM by The Maritime Executive

A wooden boat carrying 17 people sank in western Indonesia on Sunday, leaving 10 people dead. Two people were rescued and are in a critical condition in hospital. Another five are still missing.

The “pompong” boat departed from Sri Bintan Pura port in the Riau province in bad weather, said Navy Spokesman Admiral Edi Sucipto. It capsized just seven minutes after leaving port.

The Navy continues its search and rescue operations for the missing passengers.

Indonesia consists of over 17,000 islands, and the local population are dependent on boats for transport.