At least nine people were dead and dozens of others were injured after a ferry caught a fire in waters off Ambon the capital of Maluku province in eastern parts of Indonesia on Friday night, a police officer said.

A ferry carrying passengers and goods was burned down before midnight when it was on a half of its 10-kilometer journey from Ambon city to Tanjung Alang of Pulau Ambon, local police officer in charge at Pulau Ambon police station Afred Tumuri said.

"Nine people were killed and 32 others were injured after the fire," he told Xinhua on telephone from the police station.

The accident occurred when a crew mistakenly loaded gasoline inthe ship, said Tamuri. But he did not elaborate.

All those wounded were immediately rushed to nearby Al Fatah Hospital and Doctor Haululu Hospital in Ambon city, said Tumuri.

Police were investigating the accident, he said.

Ferry is a favorable low-cost transport means, connecting over 17,000 islands in the archipelago country. But lack of safety standard has frequently caused accidents.

Indonesia had suffered a series of sea accidents in recent years that claimed hundreds of lives.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2008)