Rescuers in Indonesia began a search effort for at least 22 missing fisherman in central Indonesia on Wednesday after their boat overturned over the weekend, killing two persons according to officials.
The boat, which had at least 35 people on board, sank on Saturday in waters off the isolated Selayar Islands in South Sulawesi Province, leaving 11 stranded on two distinct atolls after three days at sea.
Their boat capsized amid heavy weather during Indonesia’s rainy season, according to the local search and rescue organization.
The two victims were found on separate islands.
The fishing boat departed from a North Jakarta port on March 3 to Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara Province.
The navy and rescue volunteers were helping with the search efforts.
Local fishermen discovered the survivors and informed police, according to state news agency Antara.
In Indonesia, the actual number of passengers on a boat often differs from the manifest.
Authorities received reports of the event early Tuesday, but claimed poor weather delayed rescue attempts.
Marine mishaps are common in Indonesia, a South-East Asian archipelago of about 17,000 islands, because to inadequate safety standards.
In 2018, more than 150 people were killed when a ferry sank in one of the world’s deepest lakes on Sumatra island.
