A ferry carrying 65 people sank overnight near Indonesia's popular resort island of Bali, prompting a large-scale rescue operation on Thursday as 43 people remained missing amid rough sea conditions.
The vessel, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, went down about 30 minutes after departing from Ketapang port in East Java on Wednesday night, according to a statement from the National Search and Rescue Agency. It was en route to Gilimanuk port in Bali, a journey of around 50 kilometres.
The ferry had 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and was transporting 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, according to the agency, the Associated Press reported.
Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra said two bodies have been recovered so far, and 20 people have been rescued, many of them found unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours.
Rescue efforts have involved nine boats, including tugboats and inflatable vessels, which began searching the area on Wednesday night. The teams have been working in difficult conditions, contending with waves as high as two metres (around 6.5 feet).
Ferry accidents in Indonesia
Ferry disasters are not uncommon in Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, where ferries serve as a key mode of transport and safety protocols are not always strictly enforced.
In May, seven domestic tourists died and 34 were injured when a wooden boat sank in Bengkulu province. Just last month, a tourist boat carrying 89 people capsized off Bali’s coast. Although all passengers were rescued in that incident, outcomes are not always so fortunate.
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