1 dead, 8 missing after Indonesian fishing boat capsizes

JAKARTA (XINHUA) - An Indonesian fisherman was found dead on Monday (March 21) and eight others went missing after a wooden fishing boat carrying 12 people capsized on Sunday evening in the country's waters near Pulau Pasir in the province of East Nusa Tenggara.

As reported by Indonesia's national news agency Antara, the Indonesian Navy's Kupang Main Naval Base commander Heribertus Yudho Warsono said on Monday that rescuers had found a man's body believed to be one of the nine fishermen who went missing after the boat accident.

Three fishermen were earlier rescued alive by a Singapore-flagged bulk carrier which was diverted by the Australian authorities.

Rescuers continued and expanded their search for the eight missing people.

Boat accidents are common in Indonesia, a country consisting of about 17,000 islands, due to lax safety standards.

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