Indonesian ferry catches fire after tug collision

Sep 26, 2011 |

Jakarta

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An Indonesian ferry with more than 400 people on board collided with a barge and caught fire Monday, killing at least two, a search and rescue official said.

The KM Marina Nusantara, travelling from Surabaya in eastern Java, collided with the barge as it approached the city of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province on Indonesian Borneo.

"The accident happened after 7 am this morning. So far, two people have died. We can't confirm how many are injured, but we are expecting more casualties," said Rusli Ansyah, head of search and rescue in South Kalimantan.

"The boat was carrying 443 people, some vehicles and other goods. Everyone has now been evacuated and some have been taken to hospital," he said.

The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands has a poor sea safety record, and fatal accidents are common.

Thirteen people were killed when a boat sank Saturday off East Java province, and 25 people were killed off the resort island of Bali when their boat sank last week.

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