11 missing after boat capsizes off Indonesia's Mentawai Islands

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - A search and rescue operation is underway off the coast of Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra province after a boat carrying 18 people capsized in bad weather, marking the second such disaster this month, the local rescue agency said Tuesday.

Seven people have been rescued after Monday’s incident, while 11 others are still missing, the agency said in a statement.

The boat, which was carrying 10 local government officials and eight other passengers, departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to Tuapejat. another small town, when it capsized.

On July 3, a ferry carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members capsized while traveling from Java to Bali, killing at least 18 people, with 30 rescued so far.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency has issued warnings of extreme weather conditions in Indonesian waters.