Images from the scene showed passengers in bright orange life vests clinging to the side of the KM Lestari Maju as it tilted sharply into the water not far from the coast of Bulukumba regency, near Selayar Island, CNN reported.
At least 34 people have perished in a ferry that sank off the coast of Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province on Tuesday, the second incident in two weeks, raising serious questions on the safety on board such ferries due to poor maintenance and overcapacity.
The incident was started by a leak in the ferry, according to Indonesia’s state news agency Antara.
Images from the scene showed passengers in bright orange life vests clinging to the side of the KM Lestari Maju as it tilted sharply into the water not far from the coast of Bulukumba regency, near Selayar Island, CNN reported.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for Indonesia's disaster management agency, said 155 people had managed to swim or be pulled to safety.
Rescue efforts were initially complicated by bad weather that prevented large boats from approaching the ferry wreck. Smaller boats, including local fishing vessels, stepped in to help.
This incident comes just over two weeks after one of the worst maritime accidents in the country for decades when an overloaded ferry sank in Lake Toba on June 18, causing the deaths of more than 190 people. A search and rescue operation to retrieve the bodies was called off on Monday.