Naval vessels picked up 114 survivors from a passenger ferry that went down in rough seas in eastern Indonesia, but there was no sign late today of dozens of others still missing, rescuers said.
Groups of worried relatives flocked to the port in Kupang, where the ferry originated, to greet survivors as they disembarked from two navy ships. Many needed medical treatment after spending hours in the sea or hanging on to debris or lifeboats, witnesses said.
"I felt like I was in a dream after the announcement that all the passengers must put on their life vests," said Adi Soruk, speaking from a hospital bed in Kupang, some 1,250 miles east of Jakarta. "I just knew the craft was going down," state news agency Antara quoted him as saying.
By nightfall, 114 survivors had arrived at the port, said Siti, an official there who goes by a single name. Around 45 others believed to have been on board had yet to be accounted for, she said.
Decky, a rescue official, said healthy people may survive in open water with a life vest for more than 24 hours. But that there was no sign of any more survivors when the rescue effort was called off for the night at dusk Wednesday. The sea had been calm during the day Wednesday, but strong winds whipped up big waves again in the late afternoon.
Rescue operations were to recommence at dawn tomorrow.
Siti said the Citra Mandala Bahari was carrying far more people than listed on its manifest - a common practice on the thousands of ships that ply the waters of Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation.
Accidents at sea are common in Indonesia, where boat travel is the only way to reach many islands. Safety measures are poorly enforced, and many crafts lack enough life jackets and other safety equipment.
AP