Indonesia sends warships to help look for 54 after boat sank

(THEJAKARTAPOST)RescuersonWednesdayrecovered16morebodiesfromtheweekendsinkingofapassengerboatinIndonesianseas,andthenavywassendingwarshipstojointhesearchfor54peoplestillmissing.

TheMarinaBaru,carrying118passengersandcrewmen,sankintheGulfofBoneonSaturdaywhileonitswayfromKolakainSoutheastSulawesiprovincetoSiwatowninSouthSulawesiprovince.Thefiberglassferryreportedlywasoverwhelmedbywavesmorethan3meters(10feet)highduringstormyweather.

IndonesianSearchandRescueAgencychiefHenryBambangSoelistyosaidWednesdaythenavywilldispatchwarshipstotheareawherenineshipsand15fishingboatsarealreadysearchingforthevictims.

AhelicopterandaCN-235aircraftaresearchingfromtheairwhilesoldiersandpolicewerecombingthecoastline,Soelistyosaid.

Theheadofthelocaldisastermitigationagency,Alamsyah,saidWednesday'sdiscoveriesbroughtthedeathtollto23while54otherpeopleweremissing.Mostofthe41survivorswerefoundSunday.

Thelastrecoveredsurvivorwastheboat'scaptain,whowasfoundMondaysnaggedonafishingplatform,saidAlamsyah,whousesasinglename.

TwelvebodieswerepulledoutWednesdaybyashipofNationalSearchandRescueAgency,threebyfishingboatsandonebyaPortAuthorityvessel,Alamsyahsaid.