Camilla Jessen
Rescue teams continue search after vessel sinks in bad weather.
At least four people are confirmed dead and 38 are missing after a ferry sank off the coast of Bali late Wednesday night, according to Indonesian authorities, as reported by AFP and News.ro.
The ferry, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, was en route from Banyuwangi, on Java’s eastern coast, to Bali when it sank just 25 minutes after departure.
Search and rescue efforts continued into Thursday morning, with 23 people already pulled from the sea.
Authorities say the ferry was carrying 65 people—53 passengers and 12 crew—as well as 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.
President Prabowo Orders Emergency Response
Indonesia’s presidency confirmed that bad weather caused the sinking, though further investigations are ongoing.
President Prabowo Subianto, currently visiting Saudi Arabia, ordered emergency assistance to be sent immediately after being informed of the incident, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.
The ferry sank around 11:20 p.m. local time on Wednesday (15:20 GMT). Lifeboats were deployed, and four survivors were rescued on Thursday morning after being found adrift at sea.
Search Continues
The Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency is working to verify whether the declared passenger list matches the actual number on board.
Uncertainty remains over whether any foreigners were among the passengers, and officials have not released a full list of those on board.
Maritime rescue teams and additional lifeboats were dispatched from Surabaya to assist in the operation.
Visibility and rough seas have posed challenges to the ongoing search.
Indonesia has a long history of ferry accidents, often linked to poor safety enforcement and overloaded vessels. In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized near Bali, killing an Australian tourist.
In 2018, a ferry disaster on Lake Toba in Sumatra killed over 150 people.
