Miraculous escape for school students as boat sinks

When the ferry boat was about to sink the passengers jumped to the pier. Only material losses were reported in the accident,

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Some 60 Islamic boarding school students (santris) had a miraculous escape after their ferry boat sank In South Kalimantan province Sunday night. "The ferry boat sank Sunday night (April 21) at around 08.20 p.m. local time in Barito Kuala waters," the chief of the water and air police unit of the Barito Kuala police resort, Adjunct Commissioner John Letedara, said in Batola, South Kalimantan, Monday,

The ferry boat was on its way to the pier at Lepasan village in Barito Kuala district from Siring Marabahan pier with some 60 santris aboard when it met with the accident, he said.

"Most of the passengers on the sunken ferry boat were female santris," he said.

The ferry boat tilted to one side and sank about 10 meters from the pier in Lepasan village, Letedara revealed. However, no fatalities or injuries were reported.

"When the ferry boat was about to sink the passengers jumped towards the pier. Only material losses were reported in the accident," he said.

Local residents towed the boat away so as not to disrupt ferry activities at the pier, he said.

The water and air police unit of the Barito Kuala police resort is still investigating the cause of the mishap.

Translator: Gunawan Wibisono, Suharto
Editor: Eliswan Azly
Copyright © ANTARA 2019