Search continues for 120 missing in Indonesia ferry blaze
Pastor Dale Morgan
Saturday February 24, 2:29 PM
*Search continues for 120 missing in Indonesia ferry blaze*
The Indonesian navy is continuing to search for 120 people still missing
after a deadly ferry fire, a navy spokesman said Saturday.
"We still have seven navy ships and two reconnaissance aircraft scouring
the Jakarta Bay towards the north and northeast," navy spokesman
Lieutenant Colonel Hendra Pakan told AFP.
Sixteen people have been confirmed dead after fire broke out on the
Levina I ferry shortly after it left the Indonesian capital Thursday.
More than 300 passengers and crew leapt into the water as the blaze
raged out of control.
Pakan said the ferry, which was reported to be still letting out smoke,
was being towed back to Jakarta.
"The ferry has been towed back to Jakarta early this morning (Saturday).
It should arrive here late afternoon from its location 63 miles (101
kilometres) offshore," he said.
Media Indonesia daily reported the government had revoked permits for
the operator of the Levina I for falsifying its manifest, declaring
fewer passengers than it was actually carrying.
The ferry's skipper and four crew members have been questioned by police.
Early investigations suggest the fire was sparked by one of the lorries
on the ferry's vehicle deck.
Lax enforcement of safety regulations, poor maintenance and a lack of
investment in transport infrastructure have been blamed for a recent
spate of air, sea and rail accidents.
A ferry sunk off the north coast of Java in December with 600 people on
board. Some 250 people were rescued. The search for survivors has now
officially ended, according to the state news agency Antara Friday,
quoting navy sources.
Ferries are a crucial link between the archipelago nation's 17,000
islands, and frequently carry more people than officially acknowledged.