JAKARTA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- A cargo ship with 25 people on board and carrying nickel ores lost contact after it sent a distress signal in waters off eastern Indonesia on Sunday, and the search operation will resume on Monday, officials said.
The ship, MV Nur Allya, en route to Southeast Sulawesi province, sent the signal while passing the waters off northern Buru Island of Maluku province and then the communication with authorities was terminated, head of communication for media Yusuf Latief said.
"The signal indicated that there was something that endangered the ship," he told Xinhua over the phone.
"The ship has already sent a distress signal, therefore we immediately rushed into the last position of the ship to check the real condition of the vessel and rescue it," head of the provincial search and rescue office Muslimin Samaila told Xinhua via the phone.
"Yet we had to halt the mission as the weather condition was unfavorable and the night fell, and we will resume it on Monday," he added.
"At 07:00 a.m. tomorrow (Monday) we will start again the operation, several personnel will head to the last position of the ship," he said.
Currently the weather condition is fluctuating in the area, he added.
