Moluccas refugees feared drowned

Thousands of people have fled the violence

A ship thought to be carrying nearly 500 people, many fleeing religious violence in Indonesia's Moluccan Islands, is missing feared sunk.

The captain sent a distress call saying the boat was taking in water in heavy seas and sinking off Sulawesi.

Four rescue ships were sent out, but were unable to find any trace of the Cahaya Bahari ferry before nightfall.

There are now fears that everyone on board may have perished.

Nearly 300 of the passengers were said to be refugees from Duma, a Christian village where more than 100 people were killed on 19 June in an attack by Muslim fighters.

The ferry, which had left Tobelo on Halmahera island in the northern Moluccas, was bound for Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province.

The number of passengers is not yet certain and nor is their fate

Tobelo port official Bob Halattu

It started leaking near the end of its journey, about 65km (40 miles) east of Siau island.

Reports said the ferry was built to hold about 250 passengers, but was probably holding twice that number.

Antara news agency said the vessel had been packed and refugees had fought to get on board as it left Halmahera.

The search, which is continuing into the night, has been hampered by fog and bad weather.

Emergency

A state of emergency has been declared on the Moluccan islands where more than 2,500 Christians and Muslims have been killed in the past 18 months.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the violence

The clashes have worsened since May this year following the arrival of armed militants of the extremist Lashkar Jihad Muslim group.

Soldiers sent to stop the violence in the Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands, have been accused of actively taking sides in the conflict.

Blasts

Sniper fire and bomb blasts continued to shake the Moluccan capital Ambon on Thursday.

Frightened residents took shelter in abandoned homes and makeshift camps as hundreds of soldiers patrolled the streets.

Reports said the fighting between Muslims and Christians was abating on Thursday as the state of emergency took hold.

But international relief organisations said it was still too dangerous to deliver food, drinking water and medicines to tens of thousands of refugees and hospitals in Ambon.