JAKARTA– Rescuers retrieved three more bodies yesterday, after a ship caught fire in the waters, off Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, a day earlier, bringing the casualties of the incident to 17 people, with at least five others still missing.

“Today we recovered the bodies of one child, one man and one woman,” Saidar Rahmanjaya, head of the operation unit of the provincial search and rescue office, said, over the phone.

All the three bodies were found without wearing life jackets and far from the scene, the rescuer said. A total of 312 people on board the ill-fated vessel were rescued safely.

He said, the search and rescue operation resume today, adding that, five people were reported missing by their relatives yesterday, who haven’t been located yet.

Unfavourable weather conditions hampered the operation for the victims yesterday, forcing the rescuers to temporarily halt the mission, according to Rahmanjaya.

“Today (yesterday), the weather conditions at the scene are bad with huge waves, strong winds and poor visibility,” he said.

A fire broke out on the passenger ship, Shantika Lestari, in the waters, off Kupang city, the capital of the East Nusa Tenggara province, on Monday.

The ship, which departed from a seaport in Kupang city, was heading to the Alor district of the province.

Source: Nam News Network