A ferry that was carrying tourists sank off an island in Cambodia.

The Speed Ferry vessel had 18 passengers when it suffered a water pump failure while sailing off Koh Rong island in Preah Sihanouk province on November 21.

Footage shows the yellow boat listing as it took on water. It tilted onto its side and spilled cargo, including a motorcycle and sacks of cement, into the sea.

One passenger clung for his life to a piece of debris while onlookers desperately tried to throw an inflatable raft at him. A passing speedboat and fishing boat helped to rescue the group.

Authorities said nine foreigners - including five young women - and nine Cambodians were onboard. All of them were safe with no injuries reported.

The vessel is used for taking supplies to the island but also doubles as a ferry for locals and tourists.

The number of tourists was incorrectly reported by some sources as being 18 - despite all nine of the backpackers posing together in pictures.

Local media reported that the boat operator blamed a faulty bilge pump for the cause of the sinking.

Tourists and locals have previously been victims of the waters off Koh Rong. In September 2022, two Cambodian crew members abandoned their wooden fishing vessel foundered near Cambodia's Koh Tang island, leaving at least one person dead and 19 missing.