Papua Police spokesman Ignatius Benny Prabowo told local media that the boat was carrying a total of 13 people from Port Arwana in Mimika region to Potowaiburu region at around 1 p.m. local time amid bad weather. In the middle of the trip, the boat was suddenly capsized off by waves, he explained, Xinhua reported.
The victims included several local company workers and security personnel. As many as eight people managed to survive. Search and rescue efforts are continued for the one missing.
Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, due to lax safety standards.