At least 8 dead as speedboat capsizes off Indonesia’s Borneo

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A speedboat carrying 51 people capsized off Indonesia’s part of Borneo island on Monday, killing at least eight, an official said.

The accident happened when the boat, called the Anugrah Express, was travelling from Tanjung Selor, the capital of North Kalimantan province, to Tarakan in the same province.

Manangap Djumala, a search and rescue official in Tarakan, said that in addition to the deaths, several other people were believed to be missing. Unconfirmed reports said 40 people were rescued.

According to the boat’s manifest, the boat was carrying 48 passengers, including five children, and three crew members, Djumala said, adding that infants were usually not listed in the manifest.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Boat accidents are common in Indonesia because of poorly enforced safety regulations in the world’s largest archipelago nation, where ships are a popular and relatively cheap form of transportation.