Kendari: On Monday, a ferry capsized off the coast of Sulawesi island in Indonesia, leaving at least 15 people dead and 19 more missing, according to search and rescue officials.

Just after midnight local time (1700 GMT on Sunday), the boat capsized with 40 people aboard, according to a statement from the local branch of Indonesia's search and rescue organisation.

According to the report, six people were saved and taken to a hospital for treatment while the cause of the sinking was being looked into.

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According to Muhamad Arafah, director of the regional search and rescue organisation in Kendari city, southeast Sulawesi, "there are currently 19 people who are still being searched for."

According to him, one search team will use boats to search the water's surface while another will dive around the accident site.

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According to the agency, the ferry was travelling from Southeast Sulawesi's Lanto village on Buton island to Lagili village on Muna island.

Images of rescuers preparing for the search operation and several dead bodies lying on tarpaulins at a nearby hospital were also shared.
The actual number of passengers on a boat in Indonesia frequently differs from the manifest.

In the roughly 17,000 island nation in Southeast Asia, where marine accidents are common, people rely on ferries and small boats to get around despite lax safety regulations.

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On Sumatra island, a ferry capsized in one of the deepest lakes in the world in 2018, killing over 150 people. A ferry carrying more than 800 people ran aground in shallow water off the coast of East Nusa Tenggara province in May of last year and was not freed for two days.