Indonesia: 'KM Sirimau' ferry stranded with 800 people on board, cleared and on the way again

Indonesian rescuers evacuate hundreds of passengers from the "KM Sirimau" ferry off Lembata on May 19, 2022. © AFP - ATAGORAN

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A ferry with more than 800 people on board, which remained stranded on shoals off Indonesia for two days, was unblocked on Thursday May 19 and was able to resume its journey, the army announced.

"

," local naval base chief Dwi said. Yoga at AFP.

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The

was stranded on shoals for two days with 784 passengers and 55 crew on board after running aground during a 184 km crossing in the province of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesian East Nusa Tenggara).

The emergency services did not immediately evacuate the passengers but first multiplied their efforts to free the ferry.

Trailers

It was a tug sent by the public shipping company PT Pelni, which arrived in the area on Thursday May 19, which was able to unblock the boat after waiting for high tide.

The ferry then headed to a port on the island of Lewoleba for security checks before resuming its journey to Maumere on the island of Flores.

“

,” passenger Itha Tating told AFP by phone.

Accidents at sea are common in

, an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, whose population relies on

and other boats for travel despite insufficient safety standards.

Shipwrecks

In 2018, around 160 people perished when a ferry sank in one of the world's deepest lakes on the island of Sumatra.

More than 300 people drowned in 2009 when another ferry sank between Sulawesi and Borneo.

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• Indonesia

• Transportation

• oceans