Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – At least 20 people have died in two separate shipping accidents within a week in East Java and East Nusa Tenggara, while five were still missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

The fishing boat Arin Jaya, which according to port authorities had 40 people on board, including a crew of three, capsized near Sapudi Island in East Java on Monday afternoon while en route to Sumenep on Madura Island from Raas Island.

However, Sumenep Police chief Adjutant Comr. Muslimin told Kompas.com that 39 survivors had been rescued and 17 bodies recovered by Tuesday. At least one person was still believed missing.

Metro TV reported that five fishing boats rushed to the victims' assistance before a team of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reached the scene.

According to reports, the boat only had a carrying capacity of 30, while there could have been 57 people on board at the time of the incident.

Local media quoted one eyewitness as saying that the boat capsized after being struck by a massive wave.

In a separate incident, a passenger ferry operated by a district government-owned company sank near Cape Margeta in Alor district, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday.

The ship K.M. Nusa Kenari 02 had 48 passengers and four crewmembers on board when it sank while en route to Pureman in East Alor district from Kalabahi, the Alor district capital.

Forty-one passengers were rescued and the bodies of three victims recovered, while another four were still missing as of Monday, according to Metro TV.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) earlier warned of the potential for unusually high tides in Indonesian waters, especially in the eastern and northern parts of the country, during the first half of June due to the Madden Julian Oscillation, which also caused torrential rains, resulting in flooding, in parts of Sulawesi and Kalimantan.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/context/at-least-20-dead-5-missing-in-two-separate-shipping-accidents