Hundreds feared drowned as ship sinks in storm

RESCUE TEAMS in Indonesia searched yesterday for as many as 312 people who were on board a passenger ship that sank in stormy seas between Borneo and Sumatra islands.

Last night, 19 people had been rescued. But hopes of finding more survivors were fading four days after the apparent accident took place.

The newspaper Kompas reported the Harta Rimba, with 325 passengers and a crew of seven, took on water in bad weather and sank after being swamped by big waves on Saturday night off Tambelan Island, about 500 miles north of Jakarta, Indonesia's capital.

Officials on nearby Riau Island said nine people were rescued on Sunday and another 10 were picked up on Tuesday. One body was also found. The rest were missing.

The Navy said a search was being conducted yesterday by an Indonesian warship and one aircraft. "We haven't made any progress on the rescue. So far only 20 passengers including crew were found and one was dead," said a search and rescue official.

Kompas quoted the ship's captain, Hermanto, as saying: "Around midnight, bad weather and big waves came, then the ship started sinking." Mr Hermanto and several others were rescued by a passing cargo ship. He said the Harta Rimba, a 100-foot long wooden ship, departed from Kuala Sumbas on the west coast of Borneo early on Saturday morning for Pekanbaru on Sumatra.

The official Antara news agency said the vessel was also carrying a cargo of timber.

Mr Hermanto said he distributed 200 life jackets to those on board after the ship started to fill with water. Others were ordered to cling to blocks of wood and drums to stay afloat.

Indonesia is made up of more than 13,000 islands and relies heavily of sea transport. However, passengers and cargo vessels are often poorly maintained and overloaded. (AP)