2nd Ld: Ferry sinks in Bali strait, scores injured

Dozens of people have suffered from wounds as rescuers have evacuated at least 48 people and are still searching for the rest after a ferry capsized in Indonesia's Bali strait on Friday, rescuers said.

"The latest information from rescuers in Bali is that they have rescued 48 people, many of them have had injury," Spokesman of National Search and Rescue Office Marsudi told Xinhua by phone.

"Many of passengers jumped into the sea when the ferry was sinking," he said.

The search for missing persons is underway now, he added.

At least 50 people were on board the vessel, but the exact number of the passengers has not been determined.

Search and rescue operation involved the rescuers from the search and rescue office in Bali and East Java, Head of Bali Search and Rescue Office Didi Hanzar told Xinhua by phone from the scene in Bali Island.

"But poor weather condition has hampered the helicopter to close to the scene," Hanzar added.

The boat, Rafelia II, was leaving Gilimanuk port in Bali for Ketapang port in East Java's Banyuwangi district, which is the easternmost region of Java island.

"The ferry leaked, so it capsized," he said.

According to Abdullah Azwar Anas, head of Banyuwangi district, the ship was also loaded with 32 vehicles, which have all drowned along with the it.

At its narrowest, the Bali strait, which also connects the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea, is 2.4 kilometers wide.

Ship serves as a favorite transport means in Indonesia, an archipelago country home to over 17,500 islands, however, a lack of safety standard has often triggered sea accident. Endit