Nine dead after ferry carrying 242 sinks in Indonesia (Roundup)

Nov 22, 2009, 11:21 GMT

A TV grab from Metro TV Indonesia, shows two ferry accident survivors floating at Malacca strait near Tanjung Karimun Island, Riau Province, Indonesia 22 November 2009. EPA/METRO TV INDONESIA

Jakarta - At least nine people were killed when a ferry carrying at least 242 people sank in bad weather off the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Sunday, officials said.

Authorities said an estimated 232 people survived. But search teams using a number of naval and other vessels meanwhile continued to scan the waters for a possible missing persons.

A footage by MetroTV television shown two survivors, wearing life vests were seen floating in the sea in the aftermath of the accident.

The Dumai Express 10 was sailing from Batam near Singapore to the island of Dumai in Riau, Sumatra when it was battered by heavy waves and sank.

Director General of Sea Transportation, Sunaryo, said the deathtoll climbed to nine by early Sunday evening. He added however that he had received reports that two more rescue boats had pickedup victims of the ill-fated ferry.

'The data is still confusing, we are not sure (of the number of victims),' Sunaryo told a press conference, adding that reports from the search and rescue team estimated that 232 people survived.

Sunaryo cited the Karimun mayor as saying earlier that 292 people are reported safe.

A police officer who identified himself only as Edwin, meanwhile, told TVOne television that by sunset, at least 19 people were killed in the accident.

According to the manifest, the ferry had been carrying 242 passengers, including 15 children and 14 crew, when it sank, Sunaryo said. The vessel's capacity is 273 passengers.

Bad weather and high waves were hampering the search and rescue operation, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Sunaryo said the cause of the accident was still not known. An investigation was underway to determine whether negligence on the part of the master or the port had played a role.

Another ferry, the Dumai Express 15, with 278 people on board, ran aground after it was hit by large waves on Sunday, police said.

All passengers and crew survived. The ferry had been sailing between Batam and Moro island.

Hundreds have in recent years been killed in ferry accidents in Indonesia. The vessels are often overcrowded, with safety regulations poorly enforced.

The vast country spans more than 17,000 islands and boats are a popular and relatively cheap form of transport.