Indonesian passenger ferry sinks
"All but one of 60 people on board a ferry that sank off Indonesia's
east coast have survived, officials say.
The boat went down in bad weather close to Rote Island, 2,000km (1,250
miles) east of Jakarta, on Monday evening.
Ships and an aeroplane joined rescue efforts amid initial reports that
up to 100 people may have been on board.
Accidents at sea are not uncommon in Indonesia. A ferry sank in the
same waters in February with the loss of as many as 40 lives.
Swam ashore
The ferry's captain told the authorities that the boat had been
carrying 54 passengers and six crew when it sank.
By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, 59 people had been able to swim ashore or
were picked up by rescuers, port official Piter Fina said.
Police spokesman, Martin Raja, of nearby Kupang in West Timor, said 19
survivors had been taken to hospital on Rote Island.
Ferries are a common means of transport between Indonesia's many
islands, but overcrowding often leads to accidents.
Safety standards are often not enforced, meaning boats are in poor
condition and carry more passengers than regulations allow.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4917618.stm
Published: 2006/04/18 07:35:31 GMT
© BBC MMVI"
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