Ferry sinks off coast of Indonesia

SANAA, May 30 (YPA) – At least 31 people had been rescued, while 11 were still missing when a ferry ran out of fuel and sank in bad weather off the coast of Indonesia, officials said.

The country’s search and rescue agency said the vessel was carrying 43 people when it capsized on Thursday in the Makassar Strait, the sea separating the islands of Sulawesi and Borneo.

“So far, 31 people have been rescued and we are still looking for 11 others who are still missing,” the local head of search and rescue Djuanidi, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, told AFP.

“The survivors have returned home and are generally in good health,” he said.

Rescue teams deployed a helicopter and expanded the search area to 20 nautical miles at the spot where the boat sank in search of the missing,  he added.

E.M