JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers were searching for a boat with at least 28 on board which had reportedly been missing since Wednesday off the coast of Mamuju regency in the eastern Indonesian province of West Sulawesi, an official told local media on Thursday.
Mamuju Search and Rescue (SAR) chief Muhammad Rizal said the boat carrying 28 wedding guests lost contact in the waters of Ambo Island. His office received a report on the incident from a local on Wednesday evening.
According to him, the boat departed from Ambo Island at around 10 a.m. local time and was expected to arrive at its destination of Port Sumare in Mamuju at 4 p.m.
"Until the evening, the boat had not arrived there," said Rizal, adding that a rescue team with a SAR boat had been deployed to Ambo Island.
Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, due to lax safety standards. ■
