A ferry that had 65 individuals on board sank on Wednesday evening off Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali, killing four and leaving another 38 missing. The ship sank just 30 minutes after it had left East Java’s Ketapang port, bound for Gilimanuk port in Bali—a trip of about 50 kilometers.
The National Search and Rescue Agency reports that the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya had 53 passengers, 12 crew, and 22 cars, including 14 trucks. The vessel sank into the sea as weather turned stormy, with a rescue mission launched immediately.
Rescue Operations Underway Amid Stormy Seas
Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra said in an interview with the Associated Press that “the rescuers have so far found four bodies and 23 people have been rescued till now.” He further explained that numerous survivors were rescued drifting unconscious after hours in rough seas.
Nine vessels, of which two were tugboats and two were inflatable rescue craft, were sent out since Wednesday evening to search for the missing passengers. Rescue teams have been fighting difficult weather conditions, such as waves up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in height, that have made search missions challenging.
Recurring Ferry Disasters in Indonesia
Ferry disasters are not unknown in Indonesia, a country consisting of more than 17,000 islands where travel by sea is often the most practical method of getting around. The industry is however often criticized for poor standards of safety and overload.
Just last month, a tourist boat carrying 89 passengers capsized off Bali’s coast. While all the passengers survived that incident, not all ferry journeys end as fortunately. In May, another tragedy struck when a wooden vessel sank in Bengkulu province, killing seven domestic tourists and injuring 34 others.
Search Continues for the Missing
Through Thursday morning, search and rescue workers are still on the job, searching the waters off the disaster location in hopes of finding the 38 missing persons. With weather and time against them, the pressure keeps piling up.
No cause of the sinking has been officially confirmed by authorities, but the investigations will commence once the search is over.