Selfie on boat kills seven tourists in Indonesia

Rescuers search for victims after a boat carrying 20 tourists capsized. Photo / Handout, National Search and Rescue Agency

Seven tourists drowned after an overloaded boat captained by a 13-year-old capsized in a reservoir in Java, Indonesia.

Police said the accident happened on Saturday when all 20 passengers moved to one side of the boat to take a selfie in the Boyolali Regency.

"The cause of the accident was overcapacity," Central Java police chief Ahmad Lutfi said.

"The 20 people took a selfie on the right side then the boat lost balance and flipped."

Eleven people were rescued but seven were found dead, police said.

Two tourists are still missing.

Lutfi said the boat was skippered by a 13-year-old. Police will investigate whether negligence was a contributing factor.

Boat accidents are common in Indonesia, due to lax safety standards.

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In January last year, 10 people went missing after a boat carrying 20 migrant workers to neighbouring Malaysia capsized off the coast of Sumatra island.

Last month, two fishing trawlers collided in West Java. Three people were found dead and 13 were still missing when the search ended.

Also last month, an Indonesian military submarine sank and broke apart, killing all 53 Navy personnel.