Victims' relatives (Source: AFP)Hanoi (VNA) – The number of missing people from a sunk vesselon Lake Toba in Indonesia two days ago climbed to 192, according to the latestreport issued by the National Search and Rescue Agency on June 20.
The wooden vessel, overcrowded with passengers as well as dozens ofmotorbikes, didn't have a manifest and disaster officials have several timesraised the number of people it was carrying as family members who rushed to thelake in northern Sumatra provided information.
The boat was five times over its passenger capacity of 43 and equippedwith only 45 life jackets, Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and NationalSearch and Rescue Agency chief Muhammad Syaugi told a news conference.
To date, rescuers found at least four bodies and saved 18 others. About400 rescue personnel, including military and police officers, were deployed inthe search.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency predicted that the work may lastat least one week.
Spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo PurwoNugroho said that the KM Sinar Bangun boat sank at about 5:30 pm on June 18when it was sailing from Samosir, a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Toba,to Parapat town.
Most of the passengers were tourists enjoying the country's 12-day-longEid al-Fitr holidays.
The 3,000-square-kilometre lake, which is the largest volcanic lake inthe world, is a popular spot for local and international tourists.-VNA
VNA
