The number of fatality of ferry sinking in Kolaka waters of Southeast Sulawesi in eastern part of Indonesia earlier Saturday rose to ten and scores of people still went missing, rescuer said.

Ferry Windu Karsa sank at 00:30 local time Saturday (1530 GMT Friday) after leaving Bajo town of South Sulawesi, according to rescuer at Search and Rescue Office at Southeast Sulawesi named only Surajad.

The rescue for the victims had been carried out since after midnight as the authorities predicted there are a number of people still went missing, he told Xinhua by phone. "We forecast that there are scores of people still go missing and the rescue will keep continuing," he said.

According to the manifest, the number of people on board is 96 and 93 of whom have been secured safely, a rescuer at the National Search and rescue Office told Xinhua. "But, the actual number of people on board is normally much higher than that stipulated in the manifest," said Surajad.

The survivors have been rushed to nearby hospitals, he said.

A seaport official at Southeast Sulawesi quoted by a local television as saying that huge waves were blamed for the accident, but Southeast Sulawesi police chief quoted by the television as reporting that it was caused by the leaking at the ship.

The ferry on route Kolaka to Bajo town was carrying passengers wishing to return to home towns for celebrating Islamic festivity on Aug. 30 and 31, he said.

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