Scores injured as ferry sinks in Bali strait

Jakarta, March 4 (IANS) Dozen of people were injured as a ferry sank in Indonesia's Bali strait on Friday.

At least 48 people were rescued while search for the remaining passengers continued, Xinhua quoted spokesman of National Search and Rescue Office Marsudi as saying.

"Many of passengers jumped into the sea when the ferry was sinking," he said.

At least 50 people were on board the vessel, but the exact number of passengers was not immediately known.

The boat, Rafelia II, was leaving Gilimanuk port in Bali for Ketapang port in East Java's Banyuwangi district, which is the easternmost region of Java island.

"The ferry leaked, so it capsized," he said.

According to Abdullah Azwar Anas, head of Banyuwangi district, the ship was also loaded with 32 vehicles, which have all sunk along with the vessel.

At its narrowest, the Bali strait, which also connects the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea, is 2.4 km wide.

Ships serve as a favourite transport means in Indonesia, an archipelago country home to over 17,500 islands. However, a lack of safety standards has often triggered sea accident.