An estimated 18 people have been rescued and 1 has been confirmed dead from among around 80 passengers aboard a cruise ferry which sank today, June 18, in Lake Toba (North Sumatra province, Indonesia), a disaster agency official announced.
Sinar Bangun ferry has sunk in rough weather at around 5:30 p.m. (1030 GMT) nearly a mile from Tigaras port, carrying passengers from lake’s Samosir Island, Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho revealed.
Nugroho added search and rescue efforts had involved a couple of other ferries and a wooden boat had been hampered due to weather conditions in the area Monday night.
It wasn't immediately clear if any of the missing travellers were foreigners.
Lake Toba is a popular tourist destination largely promoted by the government. It fills the caldera of a dormant volcano and is the biggest lake in Indonesia as well as one of the deepest in the world.