Ship battles rough seas off Indonesian coast

Four people from a boat, which was missing off Sulawesi Island with more than 100 people aboard, were found alive, an Indonesian rescue official said on Sunday.

Six rescue boats and ships were sent from Kendari and Makassar after they received a distress call from the crew who reported that water was starting to enter the vessel, Asikin said. The local authorities say all of the passengers onboard the ferry are Indonesian nationals.

“This morning four passengers, consisting of two men, a woman and a child, were found safe”, transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata said in a statement to AFP.

Rescuers were being hampered from reaching the ferry due to strong winds and high waves, with larger ships being enlisted to help navigate the choppy waters, local authorities told media outlet Republika.

Asikin said he expected them to arrive at the boat’s location in the very early hours of Sunday.

Television footage shows family members in waiting anxiously at the Siwa port for their loved ones.

Indonesia’s waterways serve as a widespread form of transportation in some areas of the country, where accidents resulting from overcrowded boats and lax safety standards are common.

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Precise estimates of the numbers on board the ship varied and there was no immediate estimate of casualties. This includes the preparation of derivative works of, or the incorporation of such content intoother works. Please see our terms of service for more information.