Indonesian Ferry Sinks

Indonesian Ferry Sinks

Rescuers have brought 70 passengers to the shore after a ferry sank in stormy weather in eastern Indonesia, leaving 10 dead and one missing. 'Hastina III' capsized at 0900 local time (0100 GMT) on Monday after a huge wave slammed into the wooden ship, sending panicked passengers running to one side. The provincial governor ordered the police to question the vessel's operator over claims that it was crammed with passengers beyond capacity, causing it to capsize. A spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency said the ferry had been carrying 88 passengers despite only 60 being listed on the boat manifest.

The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands with a 235 million population is heavily dependent on ferries as a main source of transportation, but fatal accidents are common due to poor safety record and overcrowding. In January last year, 335 people were killed when an overcrowded ferry sank off Sulawesi island. And in December 2006, a ferry went down in a storm off the coast of Java, killing more than 500 people.