31 Missing in Indonesian Fishing Boat Sinking

Indonesian rescuers were battling high tides and strong winds on Friday in a search for 31 people missing after a fishing boat sank in waters off Borneo island, killing at least four, an official of the search and rescue agency said.

There were 37 people on board the vessel, four of whom had been found dead, while two had survived, agency spokesman Iman Saputra said by telephone.

"Rescue efforts will go on for the next four days. The obstacles are high tides and strong winds," said Saputra, who is based in Banjarmasin, the capital of South Kalimantan province, near the site of the sinking.

The vessel had left the town of Pekalongan on Java island three days ago before running into trouble, Saputra said, adding that the agency had deployed 35 people to hunt for those missing. (Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo and Jessica Damiana