Indonesian ship carrying refugees sinks, 11 dead, 69 missing

Asian Economic News, Feb 12, 2001

JAKARTA, Feb. 5 Kyodo

At least 11 people died and 69 others are missing after a passenger ship carrying refugees sank on Sunday off Jalolo in the Indonesian province of North Maluku, local media reported Monday.

The state-run news agency Antara said the Ulo Putro, which left the port of Bastiong on Ternate Island on Saturday for Galela on Halmahera Island, ran into bad weather and sank.

The passenger list registered only 80 people on board, who were refugees who had fled Galela after clashes between Muslims and Christians and who were returning there, Antara said.

But Salahudin Baba, a sea transportation official of the North Maluku government, said the ship might have been carrying more than 150 people, almost double the official number.

''We are still continuing the search and rescue operation, although it is very difficult due to the bad weather,'' Baba said.

The Meteorological and Geophysics Office in North Maluku has warned of rainstorms in the area and advised ships not to put to sea.