26 killed as Indonesian ferry sinks in storm

TWENTY-SIX people were killed and some 250 were rescued after a ferry sank in stormy seas off Indonesia’s Sumatra island yesterday, a navy official said.

The 147-tonne Dumai Express was sailing from Batam island to Pekanbaru when it went down in heavy rain and huge swells off Karimun island, near Singapore in the north of the Indonesian archipelago, police said.

“The latest data [we have are] 250 people were rescued, including the ferry captain and 12 crew members. Twenty-six people have died. We don’t know how many are missing,” said navy Lieutenant Colonel Edwin.