Indonesia rescues 11 who survived boat capsize
Two boats and dozens of rescuers hunted for those missing after the boat with 18 aboard overturned off the Mentawai Islands in the province of West Sumatra on Monday morning, regional officials said.
"It was raining hard when the incident happened," island official Rinto Wardana told Reuters.
"Some of the passengers managed to swim and reach the nearest island."
Seven had been rescued earlier, Wardana said.
Ten of those on board were local government officials on a business trip to the town of Tuapejat, the boat's destination when it left Sikakap, another small town in the Mentawai Islands. .
The Mentawai Islands consist of four main islands and many smaller ones.
Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where accidents are caused by bad weather and lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded.
When a ferry sank earlier in July near Bali with 65 aboard, 30 passengers survived, while 18 died and 17 went missing.
Indonesian rescuers have found alive 11 people missing at sea who had survived a boat capsize in bad weather by swimming for at least six hours to the nearest island.
Two boats and dozens of rescuers hunted for those missing after the boat with 18 aboard overturned off the Mentawai Islands in the province of West Sumatra on Monday morning, regional officials said.
"It was raining hard when the incident happened," island official Rinto Wardana told Reuters.
"Some of the passengers managed to swim and reach the nearest island."
Seven had been rescued earlier, Wardana said.
Ten of those on board were local government officials on a business trip to the town of Tuapejat, the boat's destination when it left Sikakap, another small town in the Mentawai Islands. .
The Mentawai Islands consist of four main islands and many smaller ones.
Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where accidents are caused by bad weather and lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded.
When a ferry sank earlier in July near Bali with 65 aboard, 30 passengers survived, while 18 died and 17 went missing.
Indonesian rescuers have found alive 11 people missing at sea who had survived a boat capsize in bad weather by swimming for at least six hours to the nearest island.
Two boats and dozens of rescuers hunted for those missing after the boat with 18 aboard overturned off the Mentawai Islands in the province of West Sumatra on Monday morning, regional officials said.
"It was raining hard when the incident happened," island official Rinto Wardana told Reuters.
"Some of the passengers managed to swim and reach the nearest island."
Seven had been rescued earlier, Wardana said.
Ten of those on board were local government officials on a business trip to the town of Tuapejat, the boat's destination when it left Sikakap, another small town in the Mentawai Islands. .
The Mentawai Islands consist of four main islands and many smaller ones.
Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where accidents are caused by bad weather and lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded.
When a ferry sank earlier in July near Bali with 65 aboard, 30 passengers survived, while 18 died and 17 went missing.
Indonesian rescuers have found alive 11 people missing at sea who had survived a boat capsize in bad weather by swimming for at least six hours to the nearest island.
Two boats and dozens of rescuers hunted for those missing after the boat with 18 aboard overturned off the Mentawai Islands in the province of West Sumatra on Monday morning, regional officials said.
"It was raining hard when the incident happened," island official Rinto Wardana told Reuters.
"Some of the passengers managed to swim and reach the nearest island."
Seven had been rescued earlier, Wardana said.
Ten of those on board were local government officials on a business trip to the town of Tuapejat, the boat's destination when it left Sikakap, another small town in the Mentawai Islands. .
The Mentawai Islands consist of four main islands and many smaller ones.
Boats and ferries are a regular mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where accidents are caused by bad weather and lax safety standards that often allow vessels to be overloaded.
When a ferry sank earlier in July near Bali with 65 aboard, 30 passengers survived, while 18 died and 17 went missing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Iconic Bali beach ‘ruined' after businesses demolished
One of Bali's most iconic surf destinations will never be the same again, as Indonesian authorities have begun demolishing more than 40 businesses along the famous beach. The destruction began on Monday morning as footage emerged of authorities breaking through locked doors and destroying business infrastructure with hammers. The demolition notice comes at a peak time of travel to the island for Aussies, so travellers have been warned that Bingin may not be accessible over the coming weeks. The drastic action begins after dozens of businesses were issued demolition notices in the last two months and were given time to make adjustments in accordance with building regulations. Bali's civil police unit, the Satpol PP, found in an investigation that more than 40 buildings in the Bingin Beach area were violating spatial planning laws and building regulations. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. After weeks of back-and-forth negotiations with desperate business owners attempting to halt the demolition orders, authorities have drawn a line in the sand. 'It is true that we have received a warrant for the demolition of the violating building at Bingin Beach,' Head of the Badung PP Police, I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, told reporters, according to the Bali Sun. 'We immediately sent a notification letter to the owners of the building in question, stating that the demolition will begin on July 21, 2025, and continue until it is completed.' With its pristine white sand and world-class barrelling lefts, Uluwatu's Bingin Beach has been a much-loved holiday destination for Aussies to enjoy the surf spots — Impossibles and Bingin— or soak up the laid-back atmosphere. Aerial view of Bingin beach in Bali, Indonesia. Credit: Adobe / pierrick The demolition notices, issued via letter, posters, and WhatsApp messages, affect 45 buildings, including villas, homestays, restaurants, and other tourist facilities. The violations included breaches of spatial planning rules, environmental laws, and alleged encroachment on state land. 'We did this notification in various ways, in order to minimise the reason for ignorance during the execution process,' Head of Investigation Ida Bagus Ratu told local media. One Bingin Beach business owner shared his frustration with reporters. 'If we are considered wrong because we occupy the country's land, then where is the country when everything has been running for over 30 years?' the business owner said. Surfing legend Kelly Slater has aired his frustration at the demolition plans. Credit: Kelly Slater / Instagram Eleven-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater is among those in the global surfing community voicing concern on social media. 'Awful to hear and see that the beachfront at Bingin in Bali has been bought up and all the local (eateries) and other businesses will be demolished to make room for some kind of beach club and not sure what else?' he said, alluding to circulating rumours that the removals may be linked to plans for a luxury beach club, though authorities have denied this according to 'Bali has been completely mishandled and ruined by foreign interests in recent years. I hope something can be done to retain the culture and beauty of what attracted everyone there in the first place.' Bingin Beach is only reachable via steep staircases which traverse through the cliffside buildings marked for demolition and the state of future beach access is unclear.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Demolition of businesses begins at popular Bali surf spot Bingin Beach, voiding bookings of Australian travellers
The demolition of businesses along a Bali beach has sparked devastation among locals and caused travel nightmares for Australians. More than 40 businesses along the popular surf spot Bingin Beach, in the Pecatu Village in the south of Bali by Indonesian authorities began being demolished on Monday morning. These include villas, homestays, restaurants and other tourist facilities. The government-mandated demolitions began after negotiations between business owners and the Badung Regency Government failed. The demolitions had been ordered as a result of an investigation by Bali's civil police unit, which found more than 40 buildings in the area had been violating spatial planning laws and building regulations. Australian travellers who planned to stay at the destination have reportedly had their bookings voided according to Head of the Badung PP Police, I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara, said police had received a warrant "for the demolition of the violating building at Bingin Beach", the Bali Sun reported. Several businesses had been issued demolition notices in the last two months, giving them time to make adjustments to adhere with building regulations. Regent of Badung Adi Arnawa said despite widespread public outcry, the government actions would still go ahead. 'Our community in Pecatu is very aware that they carry out activities on the land. So I hope no one comes to say this and that, pretending to be a saviour, to be a hero. People are aware when building on land that does not belong to them, so it is natural for them to leave the land,' Regent Arnawa stated. Bingin Beach has been a top spot for surfers for decades including Aussies, while American surfing champion Kelly Slater has voiced his displeasure about the future of the hotspot. 'Awful to hear and see that the beachfront at Bingin in Bali has been bought up and all the local (eateries) and other businesses will be demolished to make room for some kind of beach club and not sure what else?' he said. 'Bali has been completely mishandled and ruined by foreign interests in recent years. 'I hope something can be done to retain the culture and beauty of what attracted everyone there in the first place.' A local business owner also voiced their concerns over the developments. "In the past, this place was only a place for fishermen's activities. When tourists start to come, we slowly expand. Building at Bingin Beach is certainly not an easy thing. In addition to extra effort, the cost is not small," he said. 'If we are considered wrong because we occupy the country's land, then where is the country when everything has been running for over 30 years? Why is it done? Why is it that only the public is required to obey the rules? Why is the government itself negligent? We hope the government will provide a solution.'
West Australian
3 days ago
- West Australian
A quick guide to extend your Indonesia Visa in the summer of 2025
It sometimes feels like visas have been invented to ruin holiday plans. From securing Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Chinese visas when they still were a lengthy, red-tape-filled nightmare, I have compiled dozens of pages of visa application forms to visit countries all over Asia and beyond. I have recently extended my Indonesian visa — one of the most coveted given that Bali remains a top destination in Southeast Asia, and I would like to share the nitty gritty of my experience to help you make the best of your next Bali holiday — hopefully inspiring you to use some of that time to explore more of Indonesia's other beautiful 17,000 islands. Ready to handle some red tape? Here's my guide to getting an Indonesian e-visa and extending it while inside Indonesia. Australians and citizens of many other countries can certainly get a 30-day visa on arrival in Indonesia, which costs 500,000 rupiah ($47.50) and is extendable for up to another 30 days. It can be purchased with cash or using a credit card at most Indonesian airports — certainly at Ngurah Rai International Airport, one of the country's most popular entry points. But if you already know that you need to stay more than 30 days in Indonesia, I recommend instead to spend the little time needed to secure an Indonesian e-visa at The e-visa has the same cost as a visa on arrival, plus a mere 19,000 rupiah ($1.81) for transaction fees, but it's much more worth it. Why? First, it will make the process of extending your Indonesian visa faster and easier later, and second, having an e-visa before you land will help you go straight to the new electronic gates where you'll be able to enter the country just by scanning your passport's details page — no more stamping, questioning from immigration officers, and most important, no need to queue with the other hundred people who, unlike you, have to line up to pay for their visa on arrival. In the past, renewing an Indonesian visa on arrival was possible but required several visits to an immigration office in Indonesia, sometimes up to three times. Extremely time-consuming. The is very convenient because it helps cut down that process to no visit or maybe just one — some offices, Bali in particular, now require candidates to visit once to have their picture taken before they can approve a visa extension. Even if you can purchase an e-visa without registering an account with my recommendation is to create one because by having a profile you'll not only be able to log-in and find your application way faster, but you'll also be able to use the same log-in profile for future visits to Indonesia. Once you have registered on and have a user ID and password, the website is quite straightforward in asking you to compile your details and upload a picture of your passport and a return ticket. It's important to understand that You can submit a ticket that's more than 30 days from your arrival because this system is automated — nobody will check the return date, for now. As extensions are pretty much a guarantee, don't be afraid to buy your return ticket for the date you want within 60 days of your arrival. You will pay by international debit or credit card following a link in your profile's visa request success page you can access by logging in and checking your profile. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to extend your visa until 14 days before your current one expires. The website will not let you do so, returning an error message. Don't panic and enjoy your holiday. You don't have to apply for an extension exactly on your 16th day, but it helps to know this because if you plan to travel somewhere offbeat with a lack of Internet connection, it's a good idea to pay for your visa extension as early as possible — in fact, as long as you have paid for it, it is understood that even if Indonesian immigration will be late in processing your extension, you would not face the very high 1,000,000 rupiah ($95) daily overstay fee. This said, don't leave until the last minute because yes, Indonesian immigration often takes some time to review the applications, there are many holidays when offices are closed, and there have been cases in which when an extension has not been settled on the last day of a visa, tourists have paid overstay fines. The process is quite simple: once you log in, you should see a tab with your current visa information and, at the end of the line, a check box for action — select 'renew' and follow the instructions on the screen. A 'renew' option is also available on the upper part of the website's selection menu. The important thing to input at this stage is an address in Indonesia — a hotel or guest house is sufficient — considering that it's important to use an address in the Indonesian island or city you plan to be in at the end of your current visa. This is because, since August 2024, Indonesian immigration, especially in Bali, requires a person to visit an immigration office to have their picture taken before a visa extension can be approved. After this process, visa extensions are generally approved immediately. You will receive a confirmation and a PDF file with your extension via email within a few hours. Just keep it saved in your mobile phone. It's unlikely you'll be asked for it, especially because once you leave Indonesia, you'll use some automatic gates to exit the country. Make sure you know when your visa extension's last day is, because it can only be extended one time, and overstay fees are expensive and not worth the hassle. Enjoy your 60 days in Indonesia!
