Indonesia ferry death toll hits 66 as search enters 16th day
JAKARTA: The death toll from an Indonesian ship that capsized earlier this month rose to 66 as of Monday, as divers braved leaking fuel and dangerously unsound structures to find the 69 passengers still missing on the 16th day of the search.
Jakarta - The death toll from the Indonesian ferry disaster that turned on September 13 now stands at 66, with the search entering its 16th day on Monday. Divers have been descending into the flooded vessel, battling leaking fuel, unstable structures, and sharp objects to locate the remaining 69 passengers missing. The Virgo Transport 8 ferry was en route from Surabaya, East Java to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, carrying 243 souls including 30 crew members and an unknown number of vehicles when it capsized in rough weather.
The divers are restricted to a maximum depth of 27 meters, with the rescue operation slowed by high-risk conditions. A helicopter is expected to airlift some bodies from the Java Sea later on Monday.
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