Ferry Disaster Off Bali Leaves Dozens Missing

Indonesian authorities are urgently searching for at least 61 people reported missing after a ferry sank near the popular resort island of Bali late Wednesday night, according to the Surabaya search and rescue agency. The vessel, identified as the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, went down in the Bali Strait around 11:20 pm (1520 GMT) while en route from Java, Indonesia’s main island, to Bali’s Gilimanuk port.

The ferry was carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, when it sank approximately 30 minutes after departing from Ketapang port in East Java, the National Search and Rescue Agency stated. Rescue operations, involving nine boats including tugboats and inflatable vessels, are ongoing despite challenging conditions with waves reaching up to two meters. So far, 23 individuals have been rescued, many found unconscious after drifting in rough waters, while four deaths have been confirmed, according to MetroTV, citing the National Search and Rescue Agency.

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Marine accidents are frequent in Indonesia, a vast archipelago with over 17,000 islands, where ferries are a vital mode of transport. The Surabaya search and rescue agency noted that lax safety standards contribute to the recurring incidents. Earlier this year, in March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized off Bali’s coast, resulting in the death of an Australian woman and injuries to at least one other person.