Indonesians die as boat sinks

– At least 13 people died when a passenger boat overloaded with holidaymakers celebrating Eid capsized off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi yesterday, officials said.

Twenty-four surviving passengers were admitted to hospital, but dozens are still missing, said local disaster agency head Amiruddin who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.

The packed wooden boat, known locally as a jolloro, left Makassar, provincial capital of South Sulawesi, for a short journey to the tiny resort island of Barrang Lompo, about 15km northwest of the city’s coast. “The boat hit a large wave amid bad weather and capsized,” he said. – AFP