Boat carrying foreign tourists sinks in central Indonesia; 15 missing, 10 rescued

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A boat carrying foreign tourists in central Indonesia has sunk, leaving 15 people missing.

Budiawan, head of the search and rescue agency in Mataram, the provincial capital of West Nusatenggara, says the boat was on its way from Lombok island to Komodo island carrying 20 foreign tourists, four Indonesian crewmen and an Indonesian guide when it sank just after midnight Saturday due to bad weather.

Budiawan, who like many Indonesians uses one name, says 10 people, mostly foreigners, were rescued.

Among those rescued are two each from New Zealand and Spain, and one each from Britain and France. It was unclear who the other four rescued people were.

Budiawan said Sunday that a search for the missing passengers was underway, involving at least four ships.