1 dead, 14 injured in fast boat explosion in Indonesia's Bali waters

A fast boat connecting seaports in Indonesia's Bali and Lombok islands exploded on Thursday morning killing one person onboard, a police officer said.

The boat, which was carrying 35 people including five crews, was about 10 minutes on its way to Lombok's famous holiday destination Gili Trawangan island from a port in western part of Bali, when the craft's engine caught on fire, according to Adjunct Senior Commissioner Sugeng Sudarso, the head of Karangasem police.

The accident, which reportedly took place at 09:35 a.m. local time, killed a foreigner and injured 14 other passengers, the officer said.

He said the victims have been taken to a hospital in Bali's Denpasar.

The police have launched an investigation into the deadly accident.

The boat was taking a typical route in which dozens of tourists travel from Bali to Lombok daily.

Poor management of local tourism services across Indonesia, however, has been under criticism as it often causes accidents.

Source : XINHUA