A rescue operation is underway for 11 missing individuals after a boat carrying 18 people capsized off the Mentawai Islands due to adverse weather conditions. Seven of the passengers have been rescued as search crews, including dozens of rescuers and two boats, work near the estimated site of the accident. The boat had departed from Sikakap, headed for Tuapejat at around 11am on Monday. Previous marine accidents in the region highlight issues with safety standards and the impact of poor weather.
Dozens of rescuers and two boats were at the site of the disaster on Tuesday, and seven of the 18 people on board the boat have been rescued, the agency said in a statement.
The vessel capsized at about 11am on Monday (04:00 GMT) as it sailed around the Mentawai Islands. It had departed Sikakap, a small town in the Mentawai Islands, and was heading to another small town, Tuapejat.
Our focus is on combing the area around the estimated accident site to find all victims, said Rudi, the head of the Mentawai search and rescue agency.
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in the Southeast Asian archipelago of approximately 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards or bad weather.
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