People carry the body of a victim of boat accident in Makassar, Indonesia. June 13, 2018. A total of 13 people were dead and eight others missing after a boat sank in waters off Makassar of South Sulawesi province in Indonesia on Wednesday, a government official said. (Xinhua/Lubis)

JAKARTA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 13 people were dead and eight others missing after a boat sank in waters off Makasar of South Sulawesi province in Indonesia on Wednesday, a government official said.

A passenger boat was hit by strong winds and huge waves after departing 8 km from the Paoetere seaport in the Makasar city, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua.

The search and rescue operation for the missing persons are underway, he added.

Taking boat or ship is the favorite way for transportation in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia, home to over 17,500 islands, although lack of safety standards has often triggered boat incidents.