AN Indonesian ferry carrying 800 people that had run aground was dislodged today and continued on its journey, said the military.

KM Sirimau, with 784 passengers and 55 crew members on board, was dislodged from shallow waters off East Nusa Tenggara at noon, said head of local naval base Dwi Yoga.

“With hard work, KM Sirimau, which had been stuck for two days, was released at 12pm (local time) and it is now heading to the nearest port in Lewoleba.”

The ferry was later taken to Lewoleba port on Lembata for checks before continuing its journey to Maumere on the island of Flores.

“Praise to God, the boat is now free and we are heading back to Lewoleba. We almost arrived now,” said passenger Itha Tating on the phone.

Passengers started to worry after being stuck on the ferry for days, said Tating, adding that a woman panicked as she had ran out of milk formula for her 5-month-old.

“The waves were very strong this morning. I got scared and dizzy from seasickness.”

The military this morning boarded to distribute water and snacks for the passengers, including children and the elderly.

“The passengers started to panic because they had been stuck on the boat for more than 24 hours,” said Yoga.

Efforts to free the ferry finally succeeded after a tugboat sent by state-owned shipping company PT Pelni arrived to help.

Rescuers waited for the tide to rise before they towed the ferry, said Yoga.

Marine accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where people rely on ferries and other boats to travel despite poor safety standards.

In 2018, about 160 people drowned when a ferry sank into the depths of one of the deepest lakes in the world on Sumatra. – AFP, May 19, 2022.