One of the survivors from an ill-fated passenger ship that sank in Indonesia's Bali Strait on Wednesday night recalled the hours he spent on the sea as he was receiving medical treatment.
Dark, cold and alone -- that is how Eka describes his experience floating in the open sea before being rescued by a group of fishermen.
"I don't remember anything, only people screaming and panicking. I was trying to survive for four hours in the ocean, but my parents died instantly," said Eka.
The passenger vessel KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members, as well as 22 vehicles when the deadly accident took place.
It went down just 25 minutes after leaving the port, with six people confirmed dead so far.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but Indonesian officials say bad weather is likely to blame, with waves reaching up to 2.5 meters overnight.
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an immediate emergency response, and search and rescue teams are continuing their operations.
As families wait for news of their loved ones, the tragedy is once again putting a spotlight on Indonesia's maritime safety standards.
Experts say there is an urgent need for stricter enforcement to prevent disasters like this from happening again.
The one-hour ferry route from Banyuwangi in East Java to Bali is often busy, and commonly used to transport both tourists and cargo vehicles. Authorities say it is not uncommon for actual passenger numbers to exceed listed limits, raising safety concerns.
Survivor recalls harrowing experience after passenger ship sinks in Bali Strait
Italian political and social figures have strongly condemned the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, in which the U.S. special forces kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Critics argue that the United States, driven by its desire for Venezuela's oil resources, has violated international law by forcibly interfering in the country's internal affairs, an act that not only infringes on Venezuela's national sovereignty but also threatens peace and stability in Latin America.
"A major power like the United States has repeatedly violated international law. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last. The U.S. action is extremely blatant, extremely shocking. We have become accustomed to it," said Italian MP Riccardo Ricciardi.
"They (the United States) can kidnap, kill, invade, and plunder other countries' resources. By what right? The right of the powerful? The right of gangsters? This is precisely the problem facing the world today. We must build a new international system -- a system in which such actions are no longer permitted and will be held accounted to pay dearly," said Pino Arlacchi, former UN under-secretary-general, who is also an Italian sociologist.
"The incident is an unprecedented international crime, an armed aggression against a sovereign state resulting in over 100 deaths. The forced control of a sitting head of state violates at least 30 international laws, including the UN Charter and other international customary laws," said Fabio Marcelli, an Italian legal expert.
"Donald Trump's objective is not to combat drug trafficking, which is only a pretext. The true U.S. objective is to gain control of Venezuela's resources. The United States does not represent the entire American continent, nor is it the sole protagonist in the global landscape. Ultimately, it is U.S.-led unilateralism challenging multilateralism," said Clara Statello, an Italian journalist.
Italian figures condemn US intervention in Venezuela
