Hundreds wait at Indonesia lake as search for bodies resumes

TIGARAS, Indonesia (AP) — Hundreds of family members were waiting in desperation at a small port on Indonesia’s Lake Toba for news of missing relatives as the search for more than 190 people unaccounted for after a ferry sinking entered its fourth day.

Separately, Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called for an overhaul of safety standards for passenger boats in response to what is likely the worst sinking in the archipelago nation in more than a decade.

Only 18 passengers were rescued and four confirmed dead since the overcrowded ferry sank early Monday evening in waters said to be up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) deep. No more bodies had been recovered as of midmorning Thursday.