Indonesia ferry sinks; 7 dead, at least 14 missing

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A wooden ferry boat has sunk in a river in Indonesia's part of Borneo island, leaving seven people dead and at least 14 others missing.

Rustam, a port official in Samarinda, provincial capital of East Kalimantan, says the boat carrying 97 crew and passengers sank late Thursday in Mahakam River. It was sailing upstream from Samarinda to Melak in the same province.

Rustam said Friday that 76 people were rescued. A search was under way to find other survivors.

Local search and rescue agency official Mujiono said the number of missing could grow, citing reports of unaccounted passengers submitted by family members.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago nation, with more than 17,000 islands. Sea accidents are common in the country, partly because of overcrowding and poor safety standards.