Kupang, Indonesia - Indonesian rescuers have brought more than 70 survivors to shore after a passenger ferry sank in stormy weather, leaving 10 dead, a rescue official said on Monday.
The provincial governor has asked police to investigate claims the boat was crammed with passengers beyond capacity, causing it to capsize in rough seas off an eastern island early Monday.
"We evacuated 78 passengers late Monday - most of them were rescued by fishing boats," National Search and Rescue Agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso told AFP.
The vessel was struck by high waves, causing panic among passengers, and capsized off Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara province.
Prakoso revised down the death toll to 10 people from an earlier figure of 11, and said the boat had been carrying 88 passengers despite only 60 being listed on the boat manifest.
The provincial governor ordered police to question the vessel's operator over suspicions it was filled beyond capacity.
"The accident was caused by an overcapacity problem. I already asked police to launch an investigation," Frans Leburaya told AFP.
The Indonesian archipelago of more than 17 000 islands is heavily dependent on maritime services but its safety record is poor, and fatal accidents are common.
Up to 335 people were killed when a heavily overloaded ferry sank off Sulawesi island in January last year.
In December 2006, a ferry went down in a storm off the coast of Java, killing more than 500 people. - Sapa-AFP