9 missing after boat sinks in Indonesia, 11 dead

A speedboat carrying at least 78 people sank in western Indonesia, and rescuers were searching for nine people still missing in the rough seas early Friday.

Rescuers have retrieved 11 bodies, mostly women and children, and rescued 58 people so far, many of them unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, said Nyoman Sidhakarya, the Pekanbaru Search and Rescue Agency chief.

The cause of the sinking is still being investigated, but some survivors told authorities the boat swayed suddenly and capsized after hitting a large log while sailing in strong winds, local police chief Norhayat said.