PADANG: Indonesian rescuers continued their search on Tuesday for 11 missing people, including three children, after a speedboat capsized during a storm off the Mentawai Islands a day earlier.
Seven people, including both crew members, were rescued and are in stable condition after drifting in rough seas for hours, according to Lahmudin, head of the local Disaster Management Agency. The speedboat had departed from Sikakap in the Mentawai Islands district of West Sumatra province around midday and was en route to Tuapejat, a journey typically under two hours.
The vessel was carrying 18 people—16 passengers, mostly local government officials, and two crew members. Among the missing are three children and a local legislator.
“Authorities are still determining the cause of the accident, but survivors reported the boat was struck by high waves during a sudden storm,” Lahmudin said.
Rescue operations, led by a search vessel and inflatable boat, are ongoing with help from local fishermen and residents, said Rudi, chief of the local search and rescue agency.
Footage released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed teams conducting the search overnight in stormy conditions and heavy rain.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on water transport. However, ferry and boat accidents are frequent, often blamed on poor safety standards and lax enforcement.
Earlier this month, a ferry sank near Bali, resulting in at least 18 confirmed deaths and 17 people missing. That operation, involving over 1,000 rescuers, three navy ships, 15 boats, a helicopter, and divers, was officially concluded on Monday after a two-week search.
