JAKARTA - Seven people died and at least 95 were rescued after a ferry sank in bad weather off Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Saturday, an official said, an accident that comes as people rush to family gatherings to mark the end of the month-long Ramadan fast.

Indonesian search and rescue teams have pulled at least 95 people from the water and five remained missing, said Bambang Ervan, spokesman at the transport ministry. But the total  number of passengers on the ferry has not been confirmed yet.

The public ferry, Windu Karsa, was sailing from Bajoe to Kolaka in southeast Sulawesi when it ran into bad weather.

Indonesia relies heavily on ferry services to connect many islands in the sprawling archipelago. But accidents are common, largely due to years of under-investment in infrastructure and a tendency to overload boats.