1 dead, 1 missing as passenger boat capsizes off Indonesia's North Maluku

Jakarta [Indonesia], January 24: One person was killed and one remains missing after a passenger boat capsized in waters off Indonesia's North Maluku province on Friday, with 57 others rescued, local search and rescue authorities said.
Iwan Ramdani, head of the Ternate Search and Rescue Office in the province, said the boat was carrying a total of 59 people when the accident occurred.
According to him, the vessel was traveling from Babang village to Pigaraja village in South Halmahera Regency when it encountered strong winds and high waves near its destination amid poor weather conditions.
"The boat was hit by large waves and capsized," Ramdani said, adding that one person was confirmed dead, 57 people survived, and one passenger was still missing.
He said joint rescue teams immediately carried out evacuation operations after the incident.
"Our personnel remain on standby in Pigaraja village and surrounding areas to continue search efforts for the missing person," Ramdani said. "The team is fully prepared to conduct further search and rescue operations."
Source: Xinhua