JAKARTA, Jan 11 (Reuters ) - An Indonesian ferry with 250 people on board has sunk in the country's east, Indonesia's transport minister told Reuters on Sunday.

He said 150 people had been taken off the ferry but that he did not know whether they were dead or alive.

The ferry was travelling between Pare-pare, on the island of Sulawesi, and Samarinda, in East Kalimantan, Elshinta radio station reported earlier. (Reporting by Olivia Rondonuwu and Karima Anjani, Writing by Sara Webb, Editing by Dean Yates)

AlertNet news is provided by