Dozens feared dead as overloaded Sumatra ferry sinks

Poor weather is hampering the rescue effort on Lake Toba

Indonesian rescuers are searching for more than 100 people missing after a ferry sank on a lake in Sumatra.

Eighteen survivors have been pulled from rough waters on Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination and one of the deepest lakes in the world.

The ferry was licensed to carry 60 people but officials say about 130 were on board when it went down on Monday.

Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia where safety standards are lax, correspondents say.

Rescue workers are battling rain and high winds to try to reach any remaining survivors from Monday's accident.

"Many people have reported their relatives missing," a local rescue official named as Budiawan told Reuters news agency.

Lake Toba fills the 450m-deep (1,500ft) depression left by an ancient volcano eruption. Ferries run between a scenic island in the middle and towns on the shore.

This is the peak tourist season in Muslim-majority Indonesia, with millions of people travelling for the Islamic festival of Eid.