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Indonesia identifies likely location of sunken ferry

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Indonesia identifies likely location of sunken ferry
News

News

Indonesia identifies likely location of sunken ferry

2018-06-26 11:49 Last Updated At:11:49

Indonesia has identified the suspected location of an overcrowded ferry that sank last week in a deep volcanic crater lake but will need international help to recover the wreck, the chief of the national search and rescue agency said Monday.

The ferry had some 200 people on board — about five times its capacity — but only 18, including the boat's captain, survived the sinking in rough weather June 17 on Lake Toba. Few bodies have been recovered and officials have said many of the dead are likely trapped inside the vessel.

Rescuers on a rubber bot search for victims of the ferry that sank in Lake Toba last week, in Simalungun, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, June 25, 2018. Indonesia has identified the suspected location of an overcrowded ferry that sank last week in the deep volcanic crater lake but will need international help to recover the wreck, the chief of the national search and rescue agency said Monday. (AP Photo)

Rescuers on a rubber bot search for victims of the ferry that sank in Lake Toba last week, in Simalungun, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, June 25, 2018. Indonesia has identified the suspected location of an overcrowded ferry that sank last week in the deep volcanic crater lake but will need international help to recover the wreck, the chief of the national search and rescue agency said Monday. (AP Photo)

The search agency chief, Muhammad Syaugi, said in a television interview that an object that was located at a depth of 490 meters (1,607 feet) was about 20 meters (66 feet) long and 5 meters (16 feet) wide, consistent with the boat's dimensions.

Sonar equipment from Indonesia's navy was deployed on Friday. Divers could reach depths of only 50 meters (164 feet) in the lake's cold and dark waters.

Anguished relatives have criticized the search effort, but Syaugi defended it, saying there had been an "all out" effort.

FILE - In this June, 20, 2018, file photo, Indonesian rescuers scan the horizon from the deck of a rescue ship as they search for a ferry which sank in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Indonesia has identified the suspected location of an overcrowded ferry that sank last week in a deep volcanic crater lake but will need international help to recover the wreck, the chief of the national search and rescue agency said Monday, June 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara, Fie)

FILE - In this June, 20, 2018, file photo, Indonesian rescuers scan the horizon from the deck of a rescue ship as they search for a ferry which sank in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Indonesia has identified the suspected location of an overcrowded ferry that sank last week in a deep volcanic crater lake but will need international help to recover the wreck, the chief of the national search and rescue agency said Monday, June 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara, Fie)

"We will do our best to salvage this wreck," he said. "Because we do not have robots, we are trying to find from other countries, but most of them have tools to lift a vessel from just 100 meters depth and the wreck must be cut first."

"For us, the most important thing is to get as many victims as possible," Syaugi said.

North Sumatra police chief Paulus Waterpau told Indonesian TV that the boat's captain and three regional transport officials were arrested on suspicion of negligence that led to the sinking.

Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with weak enforcement of safety regulations often to blame.

Lake Toba, formed out of an ancient super volcano, is a popular sightseeing destination on the island of Sumatra and among the destinations that Indonesia's government is promoting as a magnet for domestic and foreign tourists.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The future of Indonesia’s automobiles and motorbikes is electric — at least according to exhibitors at the Indonesia International Motor Show, which opened in the country's capital city of Jakarta on Thursday.

That's despite the country's own slow uptake of electric vehicles and motorbikes, which only make up a small fraction of the vehicles in the world's fourth most populated country.

Over 50 international and domestic brands were on display at the massive exhibition hall, with several brands staging Indonesian debuts for hybrid or electric vehicles. Chinese automaker BYD unveiled its Sealion 7 electric SUV, while Vietnamese automaker VinFast's electric-powered VF 3 mini SUV had its Indonesia debut.

The event also welcomed a new automaker to Indonesia, with China's Honri bringing its five-passenger Boma EV.

While the show floor was dominated by Asian companies, other international makers were present as well, including Germany's Volkswagen and BMW's Mini.

Motorbikes — of which Indonesia has one of the largest fleets in the world, with over 132 million registered in 2023 — were also a mainstay of event, with foreign-made Royal Enfields and Vespas on display alongside Indonesia-made Alvas.

A much smaller part of the show featured fossil fuel-powered jet skis and boats, which can be seen on the vast coastlines, rivers and lakes of the country's over 17,000 islands.

Outside the exhibition hall, drivers enjoyed new-car smell as they test drove cars across parking lots and over steep ramps. Eager leasing agents and sales representatives awaited drivers as they stepped out from behind the wheel.

The show opened as the country faced a slowdown in it's automative industry last year: In 2024 sales fell by nearly 14% — from 1 million units in 2023 to 866,000 in 2024 according to the Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association. Indonesia’s number of registered vehicles was reported at 24,646,825 units in 2023, according to the association.

Indonesia’s Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, said the event is expected to be one of the main drivers in the recovery of the country’s slowing automotive sector.

“In a declining market condition, all stakeholders, including the government, need to find strategic steps to increase public interest in shopping for motor vehicles,” he said during the event’s opening.

While sales of electric vehicles and motorbikes are rising, they're still just 7% of the country’s fleet, according to consulting firm PwC.

A lack of infrastructure, high upfront cost and low performance hinder the adoption of EVs in Indonesia, according to a 2023 report by Indonesia-based nongovernmental organization Institute for Essential Services Reform.

Some EV makers said they recognize these barriers and are working to tackle them.

VinFast is partnering with V-Green, a spin-off from VinFast's charging station development division, to build 30,000 chargers across Indonesia, said VinFast Asia CEO Pham Sanh Chau.

“Without (chargers), we cannot sell the car," he said. “That’s why we come in with the whole ecosystem."

VinFast and other electric vehicle makers such as BYD are also building EV manufacturing plants in Indonesia. South Korea’s Hyundai and China’s Wuling have both had EV plants in the country since 2022.

The Indonesia government has sought partnerships with makers as it is eager to turn the country into an international hub for EVs, leveraging its abundant reserves of critical materials needed to make batteries.

The small percentage of sales matches the slow progress of Indonesia’s energy transition: Despite receiving billions of dollars in funding to retire coal and transition to greener energy, the country's renewable energy mix was ​​just 14% in 2024, with a majority of energy coming from highly-polluting fossil fuels such as coal.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

A staff member stands near a BMW iX car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A staff member stands near a BMW iX car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors examine a BYD booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors examine a BYD booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors check of a Honri BOMA EV car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors check of a Honri BOMA EV car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A worker cleans near a Vinfast booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A worker cleans near a Vinfast booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors look at vehicles during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors look at vehicles during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors check the interior of a BYD SEALION-7 car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors check the interior of a BYD SEALION-7 car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Models stand in a Wuling booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Models stand in a Wuling booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A model poses near a AION-V car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A model poses near a AION-V car during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors examine a BYD booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors examine a BYD booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Workers clean a BYD booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Workers clean a BYD booth during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors look at vehicles during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

Visitors look at vehicles during the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

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