Vessel Capsizes in Indonesia's Mahakam River, Claiming Eight Lives
The vessel—transporting 28 passengers and crew through East Kalimantan province—capsized Monday evening in the upstream section of West Kutai Regency after succumbing to treacherous river conditions. Twenty occupants managed to escape the disaster, but eight perished in the waters that claimed the ship.
Dody Setiawan, head of the province's Search and Rescue Office, confirmed the grim discovery as recovery operations concluded. Rescue teams fanned across 15 kilometers of downstream terrain deploying 50 personnel in rubber boats to locate the missing passengers.
"A search and rescue operation was immediately launched, covering up to 15 km downstream. The operation involved 50 rescuers using rubber boats. At about 11:50 p.m. local time Wednesday, all eight missing persons were found dead," Setiawan told media by telephone.
Investigators have preliminarily attributed the sinking to two compounding factors: the vessel's overloaded cargo capacity and the Mahakam's notoriously powerful current. The ship was laden with cement at the time of the Monday evening disaster, adding significant weight that may have compromised stability and maneuverability in the swift waters.
The tragedy underscores persistent maritime hazards in Indonesia's extensive river systems, where vessel operations remain vulnerable to environmental extremes and operational constraints.
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