Barge goes down in Malaka Straits, 26 missing

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 01/15/2009 7:51 PM  

Twenty-six people are still missing after twenty-two other passengers were rescued when a barge carrying dozens of Indonesian workers from Malaysia sank in the Malacca Strait on Monday. 

The search and rescue team head, Mohd Isa Asy'ari, said though the incident had occurred four days ago, none of the 22 survivors had given an eyewitness report of what had happened that day. 

According to information from the navy, the ship left Penang, Malaysia, and was traveling through the Malaka Strait towards Peureulak in East Aceh on Sunday.

 

The ship ran into bad weather and sank about 30 kilometers from its destination.

 

Asy'ari said navy and police personnel, with help from local fishermen, are still searching for the 26. (amr)