Three people were killed and four missing after a boat carrying candidates for a local district election sank off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, a search official said on Tuesday.

The boat was said to have capsized near Banggai island on Monday after it was engulfed by big waves, said Haris Sapardi, the head of the local search and rescue agency.

It was carrying 11 people, including a candidate for Banggai Laut district chief, Rusly Banun and his running mate Asgar Badalia, who were on a campaign trip to the nearby Masoni island, he said.

Rusly was among the four people rescued but his running mate was found dead, Haris said.

A search operation for the missing four has continued, he said.

NAN