11 missing as ship sinks in eastern Indonesia

JAKARTA - A ship with 18 people on board capsized in the water off Mimika district of Central Papua Province in eastern Indonesia on Wednesday, leaving 11 people missing.

A search operation is underway and seven people were rescued, a rescuer said.

The ship was hit by huge waves under a poor weather condition on Tuesday, and was reported to the office on Wednesday, said George Leo Mercy Randang, the head of the search and rescue office of the district.

The ship departed from a seaport in Sorong town of West Papua Province, and was heading to Timika district, he said.