One dead, 31 missing in Indonesian ferry accident

JAKARTA, Dec 29 (Reuters) One person was killed and 31 were missing after a ferry capsized off Indonesia's Sumatra island, police said today.

Nineteen people were rescued after the Tri Star sank yesterday night off South Sumatra province, provincial police spokesman Abu Sopha Ibrahim said.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known, he said, adding that rescuers were searching for the missing.

Ferries are a popular means of transport among Indonesia's 17,000 islands, where sea connections are cheaper and more available than air routes. However, safety standards are not strictly enforced.

REUTERS PDM VV1646