The death toll from an Indonesian ferry accident two days ago has risen to 19, while the bodies of up to 15 missing people were believed to be trapped in the sunken ship, officials said Sunday.
Local police chief Lt. Col. Ahmad Sauri said divers found seven bodies trapped inside the wooden ship Sari Mulia on Sunday. The bodies of 12 others were found Saturday.
The overcrowded ship capsized Friday night in the Negara River on Indonesia's part of Borneo island. It was traveling from Negara to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province.
Sauri said five to seven people were still missing and presumed dead, while an official with the provincial search and rescue agency said the number was 15.
"All of them were believed to have died, considering they have been trapped there for two days," Sauri said.
Sucipto, the search and rescue official who like many Indonesians only uses one name, said officials rescued 116 people.
He estimated the ship was carrying 150 people — well above its intended 45-passenger capacity. Earlier reports said the ship's manifest indicated there were at least 132 passengers and crew onboard.
The ferry, which was also intended for cargo, sank about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Banjarmasin.
Ferries are a main source of transportation in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands and a population of 220 million. Sea accidents are common due to overcrowding and poor safety standards.
On Wednesday, a small ferry capsized off the tourist resort island of Bali, leaving nine people dead and three missing.