Death toll climbs to 63 in ferry accident

The death toll from a ferry disaster in central Indonesia has risen to 63 with a handful of people still missing as the search and rescue operation winds down, an official said on Friday.

Search and rescue agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said as of Friday morning 103 passengers aboard the ill-fated boat had been recovered, with just 40 found alive.

"If the information is correct, we are still searching for 15 other missing people," Soelistyo said, adding that all the bodies found so far were within the search area.