4 Dead, 38 Missing After Ferry Sinks En Route to Indonesia’s Bali

AFP/APP

Denpasar, Indonesia: At least four people have died and dozens remain missing after a ferry sank en route to Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, authorities said Thursday.

The vessel, carrying 65 people, sank before midnight on Wednesday while sailing from Java to Bali. So far, 23 survivors have been rescued, leaving 38 still unaccounted for.

“Twenty-three rescued, four dead,” confirmed Rama Samtama Putra, police chief of Banyuwangi in East Java, where the ferry departed.

President Prabowo Subianto, currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, ordered an immediate emergency response, according to cabinet secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. The cause of the sinking was attributed to bad weather, officials said.

Nanang Sigit, head of Surabaya’s search and rescue agency, said that the initial rescue efforts were hampered by adverse weather conditions, including waves up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) and strong winds and currents, though conditions have since improved.

The agency had earlier reported 61 people missing and four rescued, but later clarified the ferry was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank roughly 25 minutes after leaving Ketapang port in Java’s Banyuwangi regency, heading to Bali’s Gilimanuk port—a busy one-hour ferry route frequently used by travelers and freight trucks.

According to rescue officials, four survivors used the ferry’s lifeboat and were found in the water early Thursday. The ferry was also transporting 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.

A rescue team of 54 personnel, including navy and police units, was deployed with inflatable boats. A larger vessel was later dispatched from Surabaya to assist in the operation.

Authorities have not confirmed whether any foreign nationals were on board.