59 safe, 1 missing, as ferry sinks in Indonesia

A wooden boat carrying 60 passengers and crew sank in bad weather in eastern Indonesia, and all but one of those on board survived the accident.

The Bervista went down late yesterday close to Rote island, said Piter Fina, an official from the region’s main port on the Indonesian side of Timor island.

The captain had told authorities it was carrying 54 passengers and 6 crew, he said.

By mid-afternoon today, 59 people had either been picked up by rescue vessels or managed to swim ashore, he said.

A police officer told el-Shinta radio station that more than 50 people had survived and were being treated at a local health centre.

Initial reports said the Bervista was carrying up to 100 people.

Like many boats in remote corners of Indonesia, the boat did not keep a passenger manifest.

Accidents at sea are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago where boat travel is the only way to reach many islands. Safety measures are poorly enforced, and many crafts lack enough life jackets and other safety equipment.

In March this year, another ferry sunk close to Rote, which is about 1,250 miles east of Jakarta; 40 people drowned, but more than 100 people were rescued by passing ships.