Bad weather prompts ferry suspension

Extreme weather triggering waves up to 3 meters high has suspended ferry services in several regions in East Nusa Tenggara, according to an official of the river, lake and ferry transport operator PT ASDP.

Arnold Yansen, the operational manager of the Kupang office, said the wind reached an average speed of between 25 and 35 kilometers per hour.

“The affected routes include Kupang-Rote, Aimere, Sabu-Waingapu, and Larantuka-East Flores,” he said. The suspended services reportedly caused passenger back-ups at several ferry ports.

Purwanto, an official of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the bad weather was triggered by a storm in the Indian Ocean. — JP