Ferry sinks in central Indonesia

By David Bottomley In Jakarta

More than 50 people are missing after a ferry sank close to the Indonesian city of Ambon.

Five people are already confirmed to have died in the accident.

The ferry was sailing from the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon to Masohi, about 100 kilometres away.

It is reported that the vessel got into difficulty about 15 minutes after leaving port, sinking shortly afterwards.

So far five bodies have been recovered from the scene, with about 130 people rescued and taken to hospital. It is unclear exactly how many others might be missing.

The head of the navy in Ambon told the BBC that it is thought about 50 passengers are unaccounted for. However, this cannot be confirmed because there were probably more people on board than detailed on the official passenger list.

Navy divers have been on stand-by to try and save any survivors still trapped on board but the ferry sank in deep water, preventing any rescue attempt.