13 people feared dead in boat accident in Papua

Associated Press, Jakarta

Thirteen people were feared dead after a motor boat caught fire and sank on Friday in a lake in the country's easternmost province of Papua.

The boat reportedly split into several parts during a fire on board, allegedly started by a drunk captain who threw his lit cigarette butt into the fuel tank, Antara quoted survivors as saying.

The boat, belonging to the local government, was carrying 64 crew members and passengers from the town of Enarotali to three villages around Lake Wisel Meren, in Central Papua.

Antara said 51 people survived the accident, and were treated at a hospital in Enarotali, 3,200 kilometers northeast of Jakarta.

Police in Nabire, the closest district town with telecommunication facilities, confirmed the accident but provided few details.

"A boat was reported to have capsized and 13 drowned," said a police officer in Nabire, about 100 kilometers northwest of Enarotali, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He said police were checking the report and would give an official statement later.

Antara said security forces were guarding government facilities against possible violence by relatives of the victims.

Papua occupies the western half of New Guinea. The transportation and telecommunication systems do not cover many parts of the region, which has vast jungles and huge mountain ranges.