One killed in ship accident

One killed in ship accident

JAKARTA: A passenger ship carrying about 700 people ran aground off the coast of the eastern Indonesia islands of Maluku, leaving one person dead and 20 injured, a port official said Saturday.

The MTB Express hit a coral reef near Argodang island in the southeast Maluku island chain Thursday night while it was traveling from the provincial capital of Ambon to Tual, said Rusli Barends, a Tual port official.

A rescue team reached the boat Friday and found one person dead and 20 people with minor injuries, Barends said.

All but 50 of the 700 passengers and crew had been evacuated by Saturday, but authorities were moving quickly to remove the remaining passengers, since the boat was listing badly and in danger of sinking, he said. -- AP