BALI, INDONESIA — At least four people have been confirmed dead and over 30 remain missing after a ferry carrying 65 people capsized late Wednesday night in the Bali Strait, according to Indonesian authorities.
The vessel, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, sank approximately 25 minutes after departing from Banyuwangi in East Java en route to Gilimanuk Port in northern Bali, the regional search and rescue agency in Surabaya said in an official statement.
The ferry was carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles at the time of the incident. As of Thursday morning, 31 individuals have been rescued, some found unconscious after drifting for hours in rough seas. Search and rescue teams continue to scour the area for the 30 individuals still unaccounted for.
Nine vessels — including two tugboats and two inflatable craft — have been deployed in the ongoing search operation, battling challenging conditions with waves reaching up to two metres overnight.
Officials have not provided a definitive cause for the sinking. However, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya indicated that severe weather conditions were likely to blame. President Prabowo Subianto, currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, has issued immediate orders for a coordinated emergency response.
The ferry route between Java and Bali is a vital transportation link, typically requiring about one hour to traverse. The crossing is heavily trafficked by locals and tourists alike, particularly those traveling by vehicle. It remains unclear whether any foreign nationals were on board at the time of the incident.
Four of the survivors managed to escape using the ferry’s lifeboat and were rescued early Thursday. Concerns persist that the actual number of passengers may exceed the listed manifest — a common issue in Indonesia, where lax safety standards and overloading frequently complicate maritime operations.
Marine accidents are not uncommon in the Indonesian archipelago, which comprises more than 17,000 islands. In March, an Australian national died and several others were injured when a small boat capsized off Bali’s coast. In one of the country's deadliest recent maritime disasters, more than 150 people died in 2018 when a ferry sank in Lake Toba, one of the world’s deepest volcanic lakes.
Authorities are continuing search and recovery efforts while investigating the cause of the latest tragedy.
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