Jakarta (dpa) – At least 23 people are dead after a fire broke out on a wooden boat on its way to a holiday island in Jakarta Bay, off the Indonesian capital, officials say.
Jakarta disaster mitigation agency says 194 people had to be rescued from the boat, while 17 are still missing.
A further 17 people have been taken to hospital with injuries, according to local police spokesman Ferry Budiharso.
The boat caught on fire about a mile (1.6 kilometres) out of port on its way to Tidung Island, a popular holiday destination in the Thousand Islands district north of Jakarta, the police spokesman said.
“The fire started in the boat’s power generator and soon ripped through the boat,” Budiharso says.
