54 Dead, 130 Missing After Ferry Sinks

High waves and strong winds hampered the search Saturday for survivors of a ferry that sank in a storm off the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra. More than 130 people were missing, and 54 were confirmed dead.

Thirty-nine people were found alive, including an unidentified American woman who worked for the aid group Save the Children and a 6-year-old child who had been drifting about an hour in rough seas.

The ferry went down in 330-feet-deep waters with 210 registered passengers--including 11 foreigners--and 16 crew members Friday night.

Indonesian news reports said the ship slammed into a coral reef. A port official said the ferry had reported engine trouble earlier in the day.

The news agency later quoted a survivor as saying the ferry sank after being hit by huge waves.

“It happened so fast . . . the passengers were screaming while jumping into the sea,” said Haji Amin, who swam about a hour before he was rescued. He was wearing a life belt.

Fifty-four bodies were found, said Auli Amri, spokesman at a government center set up to coordinate search and rescue efforts.

The state-run ferry Gurita sank about an hour after leaving Malahayati on northern Sumatra, about 1,100 miles northwest of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, Amri said. It was bound for the island of We, a 15-mile trip.

A port authority official said the ferry delayed its departure for an hour because of engine problems.

The 555-ton vessel was carrying 33 vehicles, 80 tons of cement and 14 tons of food, Amri said. The actual number of passengers may have been higher than the 210 listed.