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Indonesia ship capsizes: Indonesian rescuers were searching for 11 people missing after a boat capsized in bad weather off the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra province, news agency Reuters reported citing the local search and rescue agency on Tuesday. Seven people had been rescued after the incident, which happened on Monday at around 11 a.m. (0400 GMT), the rescue agency said in a statement. Of 18 people on board, 10 were local government officials.

The boat had departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to another small town, Tuapejat. Two boats and dozens of rescuers were deployed to find the missing people on Tuesday. Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are relatively common due to bad weather as well as lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded.

Second incident of boat capsize in a month

A ferry sank earlier this month near the island of Bali. Of the 65 people on board, 18 died, 30 survived, and 17 remain missing. The boat was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members, as well as 22 vehicles, the agency said.

Also Read: Indonesia Ferry Accident: 4 Killed, Over 38 Missing After Boat Capsizes In Bali; Rescue Ops On

Cause of incident under probe

Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Survivors told rescuers there appeared to be a leak in the engine room of the ferry, which was carrying 22 vehicles including 14 trucks. “When the ferry started to tilt, I initially intended to jump into the sea, but the ship quickly sank, so I did not jump any more but sank with the water entering the ship, maybe about 7 meters (23 feet) deep, so I immediately climbed up to the top,” said Supardi, 64, a survivor at the hospital.

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He and three other people grouped together in the water and used life jackets to say afloat, he said. Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse.

(With inputs from agencies)