200 missing after Indonesian ferry sinks
The ship was taking over 250 people from the island of Sulawesi to Kalimantan
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Sunday, 11, Jan 2009 11:51
Over 200 people are missing after an Indonesian ferry sunk in a storm in the country's waters.
The ferry, the Teratai Prima, sunk during its journey between the islands of Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
A total of 18 people have been rescued so far from the vessel which was carrying over 250 people at the time.
A port official told the AP news agency that the ship had issued a distress signal on its way towards Sulawesi.
The ship radioed in a message saying that it was "in the middle of a bad weather and hit by a storm."
Rescue operations in the area are ongoing. The identities and nationalities of those rescued are yet to be confirmed.
Ships are a common mode of transport for the people of Indonesia - a country consisting of 17,000 islands.