18 pilot whales die after mass stranding in Indonesia

JAKARTA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 of 55 pilot whales stranded off Indonesia's Rote Ndao coast in East Nusa Tenggara province have died, a local official said on Tuesday.

Paulus Henuk, head of Rote Ndao regency, told local media that the whales were found on Monday night at Mbadokai Beach in southwestern Rote Ndao. Some were rescued and guided back to deeper waters, but many died after becoming too weak, he said.

He added that local authorities, police, navy personnel, and residents were carrying out evacuation and mass burial operations, with excavators digging burial sites to prevent environmental contamination.

Rescue teams from the Kupang National Marine Conservation Center are working to move the remaining whales to safer waters.

The cause of the stranding remains unclear, and veterinarians are conducting necropsies as part of the investigation. ■