Bali Strait, Indonesia – Indonesian rescue teams are racing against time and battling treacherous currents as they continue the search for 30 people still missing after a ferry sank in the Bali Strait, leaving at least six dead. The disaster occurred more than 35 hours ago, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving ships, helicopters, and hundreds of personnel.
The ferry, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, was carrying 65 Indonesian nationals when it sank approximately 30 minutes after departing from East Java on Wednesday night en route to the holiday island of Bali. According to Ribut Eko Suyatno, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, 29 survivors were rescued on Thursday before operations were suspended due to poor visibility and worsening sea conditions.
On Friday morning, search efforts resumed despite forecasts of strong currents and rain in the Bali Strait. “We are deploying additional assets including helicopters and patrol vessels,” Suyatno confirmed, noting that weather and tidal conditions remain a significant challenge.
Among those waiting anxiously for news is Dayu Made Silawati, 55, whose husband, Dewa Gede Adyana Putra Usia, was aboard the ill-fated ferry. Speaking from a rescue coordination center in Bali, she recalled her last conversation with him on Wednesday evening.
“He said, ‘I just got on the ship.’ I told him, ‘Be careful, dear,’” she said.
Her repeated calls early Thursday morning went unanswered.
Transportation safety authorities have stated that the vessel was not overloaded at the time of the incident. However, a formal investigation into the cause of the sinking will commence once search and recovery operations are complete.
Ferries remain a vital transportation link across Indonesia’s sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, but the sector is often marred by lax enforcement of safety regulations, overcrowding, and inadequate life-saving equipment. Despite numerous calls for reform, maritime accidents remain tragically frequent in the region.
As search efforts continue, authorities and families alike remain hopeful for more survivors amid increasingly difficult conditions.
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