At least 29 people have died and 240 resuced as an Indonesian ferry Dumai Express 10 sank Sunday near the Sumatra Island off the Riau province of Indonesia.

The total number of people on board is unknown since the ferry is reported to have been filled by far more than its capacity of 273.

The director-general of sea transport said 213 passengers were on the manifest.  He said the disparity between reality and the manifest was a "classic case" of breaking regulations.

Authorities say the Dumai Express 10 was sailing from Batam island to Riau province Sunday morning when it sank.

Another ferry, the Dumai Express 15 with 278 people on board, ran aground Sunday after it was hit by large waves on its way from Batam to Moro island.  Authorities say all passengers and crew survived.

Indonesians rely heavily on ferries to transport them between the thousands of islands that make up the archipelago.  Ferry accidents are common due to bad weather, poor infrastructure and a tendency to overload vessels.Source: www1.voanews.com