Ferry carrying 80 sinks in Indonesia

Six people were rescued and one was confirmed dead from among an estimated 80 passengers on a ferry that sank yesterday in Lake Toba in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province.

Disaster Mitigation Agencyspokesmansutopo Purwo Nugroho said the Sinar Bangun ferry sank in rough weather at about 5:30pm near to the town of Prapa.

Last night he said 18 people had been rescued so far and that one death was confirmed after the accident on the popular natural lake.

The 440-square mile lake, formed out of an ancient super volcano, is a top sightseeing destination.

Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, due in part to weak enforcement of safety regulations.