MANSUR, 40, was sitting, drooping, visibly tired with red eyes. It was the third day of his stay on the porch of the office of the Port Administrator of Majene, West Sulawesi. Sat on a heap of old papers, he was waiting for news of his two siblings who were on board the sunken Teratai Prima ferry.

It was a bright morning on Wednesday last week. A search team promised to send a police boat—the Belibis—at 8am. However, until midday the boat la