A number of British travellers are feared to have been injured after an explosion on a tourist ferry in Indonesia in which at least two people died.
The packed tourist boat was a short distance from shore when the blast occurred on board as it ferried tourists between Bali and the holiday island of Lombok.
One Indonesian person died. There are conflicting reports over the nationality of the other victim, believed to be either German or Dutch, the London Evening Standard reported
Police in Bali said 13 people had been injured, including Britons, who were on board with fellow tourists from Portugal, Germany, Australia and South Korea.
One passenger was carried from the scene with injuries to her feet.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear but investigators dismissed suggestions it was a bomb. Early reports suggest the boat’s fuel tank may have exploded.
Police chief Sugeng Sudarso told the AFP News Agency: “The explosion happened five minutes after the boat departed. One female passenger died from head injuries
“Based on the testimony [from passengers] and from what I saw on the scene, the explosion came from the fuel tank.
“Above it was a battery, maybe there was a short circuit that affected the fuel tank.”
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing consular assistance to British nationals affected by an explosion on a ferry off the coast of Bali.”