Explosion on Bali tourist boat kills one and injures several

Nineteen people suffered horrific injuries in blast, which is not thought to have been a bomb

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(Image credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

At least one person died and 19 others were horrifically wounded in an explosion on a tourist boat between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok.

It is not known what caused the blast, but police say they do not believe it was a bomb.

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Indonesia has "a poor maritime safety record", notes the broadcaster. Some reports say a battery may have short-circuited above a fuel tank, causing it to blow up.

The Gili Cat 2 boat was carrying at least 30 passengers – all of them foreigners – and four crew when the incident happened just 200m into its journey to the island of Gili Trawangan.

A passenger document shows there were tourists from the UK, France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Spain on board.

Photographs of badly-injured victims being carried ashore have been widely shared on social media.

Police chief Sugeng Sudarso said the victims were being taken to a clinic in Manggis Village. "Many victims [are] injured, mostly foreigners. One female passenger died from head injuries," he said.

"We are still investigating the cause of the explosion – whether there is any element of intent or negligence."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are providing consular assistance to British nationals affected by an explosion on a ferry off the coast of Bali."

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