17 dead in ferry accident off Kalimantan

Jakarta Globe -

Seventeen people were killed on Monday after a ferry capsized in the waters off Kalimantan after it was hit by strong waves, a report said.

Thirty-three survivors were being treated at local hospitals after the accident which took place around noon in the sea off South Kalimantan province, Antara state news agency reported, quoting a health official.

Police confirmed the accident but were unable to give details.

"We received a report that a ferry had sunk," police official Usman Jaya told AFP.

"Officers are still investigating, what caused the accident, how many people were on board and casualty figures," he added.

The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands is heavily dependent on ferry services but the industry has a poor safety record and fatal accidents are common.

Up to 335 people were killed when a heavily overloaded ferry sank off Sulawesi island in January last year.

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