In the night between 23 and 24 July a ferry sank near the island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia: the bodies of 15 people were recovered, and at least 19 others are currently missing. Only 6 of the approximately 40 passengers on board were found alive, and were taken to hospital. The cause of the capsizing of the ferry has not yet been identified: it is possible that the number of passengers carried exceeded the permitted limit. Searches for the missing are ongoing.
The ferry had to cover a route of less than a kilometre, between two small towns on the island of Muna, south of the island of Sulawesi, one of the main islands of the Indonesian archipelago. Ferries are a very popular means of transport in the country, which is made up of over 17,000 islands, despite the fact that accidents are quite frequent and safety standards are often inadequate.