Rescuers in Indonesia are searching for dozens of missing people after the ferry KMP Tuna Pratama Jaya sank near Bali, officials said on Thursday. At least 61 people are unaccounted for following the incident that occurred late Wednesday night.
According to the Surabaya search and rescue agency, the ferry departed from Ketapang Port in East Java province at 10:56 p.m. local time on Wednesday and sank around 11:20 p.m., shortly after sending a distress signal due to engine failure. The ferry was en route to Bali's Gilimanuk port, a journey of approximately 30 miles across the Bali Strait.
"We received a distress signal about 20 minutes after departure," said Wahyu Setiabudi, coordinator of the local search and rescue station, according to the Manila Times. "Rescue teams were dispatched immediately, but the search has been hampered by strong currents and waves up to 2.5 meters high."
The ferry's manifest listed 53 passengers and 12 crew members, totaling 65 people on board, as well as 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, as confirmed by the Surabaya search and rescue agency.
As of Thursday morning, four bodies were recovered, and 20 people were rescued, many of them unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours. "Many of the rescued were unconscious," said Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra, according to Bild.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, with nine boats—including two tugboats and two inflatable boats—searching for the missing since Wednesday evening. Rescuers are battling waves up to two meters high in complete darkness.
Accidents involving ferries are not uncommon in Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands where maritime travel is a common mode of transportation. Poor infrastructure, overloading of passengers and cargo, lax enforcement of safety regulations, and adverse weather conditions contribute to frequent maritime tragedies, including ferry sinkings.
In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in Lake Toba, one of the deepest lakes in the world, marking one of the worst maritime accidents in the country's recent history.
The cause of the KMP Tuna Pratama Jaya's sinking has not been officially provided. However, unofficial reports suggest that the ferry may have experienced a leak in the engine room before capsizing. Local media report that the crew asked for immediate help via a maritime emergency channel.
A nearby ferry attempted to reach the distressed vessel to assist, while a following ship reported that the ferry had capsized and was drifting southward.
The ferry was transporting locals and vehicles between the islands of Java and Bali, a route commonly used by residents. It is still unclear whether any tourists or foreigners were among the passengers. "It is common in Indonesia for the actual number of passengers on a boat to differ from the manifest," reported the Manila Times.
Indonesia, a sprawling nation with a population of more than 270 million, heavily relies on ferry traffic as a common means of transportation. However, safety regulations are often disregarded, and enforcement is inadequate, leading to frequent maritime accidents.
In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough sea conditions off Bali, resulting in the death of an Australian woman and injuries to at least one other person.
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