JAKARTA – Indonesian rescuers found three people dead and evacuated 300 from the blazing wreckage of a ferry off the coast of Java island, an official said on Saturday, significantly more than were originally said to have been on board the vessel.
The KM Santika Nusantara was travelling between Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya and the town of Balikpapan on Borneo island when it caught fire on Thursday evening, government official Syahrul Nugroho told TV channel TV One. It was initially reported there were 277 people on board.
A statement from the Basarnas rescue agency said on Saturday it had been confirmed there were 303 people on board, three of whom were killed. (Reuters)
