Death toll rises to 12 from Indonesia's ferry sinking
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Xinhua, August 28, 2011
Rescuers have found two other bodies after a ferry sank in Kolaka waters of Southeast Sulawesi in eastern parts of Indonesia earlier Saturday, bringing the total death toll to 12, while scores others are feared missing, a rescuer said.
Ferry Windu Karsa sank at 00:30 local time Saturday (1530 GMT Friday) after leaving Bajo town of South Sulawesi, according to a rescuer at Search and Rescue Office at Southeast Sulawesi named only Surajad.
The rescuer told Xinhua by phone that it was believed that there are still a number of people go missing as many people kept coming into the seaport in Southeast Sulawesi asking for the fates of their relatives.
"People keep coming and asking for their family members or relatives who they said had traveled by the ferry. But we still could not figure out the exact number of the missing persons," he said.
According to the manifest, the number of people on board is 96 and 93 of whom have been secured safely, a rescuer at the National Search and rescue Office told Xinhua.
"But, the actual number of people on board is normally much higher than that stipulated in the manifest," said Surajad.
The survivors have been rushed to nearby hospitals, he said.
A seaport official at Southeast Sulawesi quoted by a local television said that huge waves were blamed for the accident, but Southeast Sulawesi police chief quoted by the television said it was caused by the leaking at the ship.
The ferry en route Kolaka to Bajo town was carrying passengers wishing to return to home towns for celebrating Islamic festivity on Aug. 30 and 31, he said.
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