Seven drown amid Indonesian selfie attempt

Seven people have drowned and two are missing after a tourist boat carrying 20 people capsized in a reservoir as the passengers tried to take a selfie in Indonesia’s central Java.

Central Java police chief Ahmad Lutfi said on Sunday that Saturday’s accident happened after all the passengers moved to the front of the boat.

They were trying to take a selfie as they headed for a floating restaurant in the middle of the reservoir, he said.

Eleven people were rescued after the overloaded boat capsized.

A search later found seven bodies. Four of the dead were children. Two people are still missing.

“We will continue the search operation to find the other two still missing,” Lutfi said.

He added that the boat was helmed by a 13-year-old boy, and was not equipped with safety equipment, while the reservoir management flouted the health protocols to limit the number of visitors amid the pandemic.

The influx of visitors surged as Indonesians have been on a five-day holiday since May 12 to celebrate the Eid festivities that marked the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.