The head of Jakarta`s search and rescue agency, Hendra Sudirman, said that 98 people had been rescued.
The boat, Zahro Express, caught fire shortly after leaving Muara Angke port in North Jakarta early on Sunday due to a short circuit on a power generator on the boat, Budiharso said.
Sea accidents are frequent in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago, with vessels often overloaded and having too few life jackets on boat.
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