JAKARTA: Ten people died Sunday when a boat sank in rough seas off western Indonesia, a navy official said, with a search underway for five others still missing. The small boat was carrying 17 passengers from the port city of Tanjung Pinang in Riau Islands province east of Sumatra when it encountered bad weather, navy spokesman Edi Sucipto told Agence France-Presse. A navy speedboat was still searching for the five still missing, Sucipto added. The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on boat transport, but fatal accidents are common. More than 60 people died in December when huge waves capsized a ferry charting a course through Sulawesi province AFPAFP/CC

Source: Manila Times August 21, 2016 08:03 UTC