Indonesia news: Ferry sinks near Bali killing 4; 38 missing, rescue hampered by strong winds
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java province's Banyuwangi port on its way to Bali late on Wednesday, the agency said on Thursday.
The boat was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members, as well as 22 vehicles, the agency said.
A search for the missing is underway although it is being hampered by strong currents and winds, the agency added.
(This is a developing story)
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Mint
an hour ago
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Indonesia: Rescuers find 31 survivors after ferry sinks near Bali, says NSRA
Rescuers were searching Thursday for 29 people who were missing after a ferry sank and five people died the previous night near Indonesia's resort island of Bali. As of Thursday afternoon, 31 people had been rescued from the ferry's 53 passengers and 12 crew members, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. 'The condition of this ship is fully submerged, so there is a possibility that there are people inside the ferry. But right now we are focusing on the surface of the water first,' Surabaya Search and Rescue head Nanang Sigit said. The five bodies located by rescuers will be taken to their families in Banyuwangi, Sigit said. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving Ketapang port in the East Java town of Banyuwangi late Wednesday for a trip of about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) to Bali's Gilimanuk port, authorities said. A helicopter and 15 boats searched for survivors with assistance from fishermen and people onshore. Weather was a significant factor in the search effort. Strong waves up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) high and darkness hampered emergency responders overnight. While conditions improved Thursday morning, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency indicated waves reached up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) with strong currents and winds Thursday afternoon. 'For today's search we are focusing on searching on the water, as the initial victims were found in the water between the location of the accident toward Gilimanuk port,' Sigit said in a statement Thursday morning. An officer at the port witnessed the sinking before rescuers could be alerted. 'The ferry could not be contacted via radio from the beginning. Then it could be contacted by other ships from the same company. But the ship was already in a tilting condition,' Sigit said. Many of those rescued were unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, Banyuwangi Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra said. Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Survivors told rescuers there appeared to be a leak in the engine room of the ferry, which was carrying 22 vehicles including 14 trucks. Some family members arrived at the port in a panic or weeping as they sought information about their loved ones. Survivors were taken to nearby medical facilities including Jembrana Regional Hospital in Bali. 'When the ferry started to tilt, I initially intended to jump into the sea, but the ship quickly sank, so I did not jump any more but sank with the water entering the ship, maybe about 7 meters (23 feet) deep, so I immediately climbed up to the top,' said Supardi, 64, a survivor at the hospital. He and three other people grouped together in the water and used life jackets to say afloat, he said. Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
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First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
Why Donald Trump's tariffs on China may dampen US' July 4 celebrations
Much of America celebrates its Independence Day on July 4 with cookouts and family get-togethers punctuated by elaborate and spectacular fireworks displays. However, the July 4 holiday this year may lose a bit of its spark because of US President Donald Trump's tariffs read more America imports over 95 per cent of its fireworks from China. Reuters America celebrates its independence every July 4. Much of this revolves around cookouts and family get togethers across the country. However, what most Americans really look forward to on July 4 are the elaborate and spectacular fireworks displays that punctuate the celebrations. However, this year, the July 4 holiday may lose a bit of its spark. But what happened? What do we know? Let's take a closer look: A brief history of fireworks First, let's take a brief look at fireworks. Fireworks are widely believed to have been invented in China around 2000 years ago. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It originated with people in ancient China throwing bamboo stalks into fires. They did this to ward off evil spirits. Travellers would also carry bamboo sticks to ward off animals. Then, in the 9th Century, gunpowder was invented. People would then place this powder in bamboo stalks. This is likely when the world's first manufactured fireworks were created. By now, fireworks were also being used to celebrate birthdays and weddings. America and fireworks The European settlers who came over to the new world brought fireworks – and the love for such displays – with them. The day after America declared its independence from Great Britain, John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, wrote to his wife Abigail, 'It ought to be solemnised with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.' Indeed, fireworks were part of the US' first Independence Day celebrations in Philadelphia. In the 18th Century, politicians would often use a fireworks display to try to gather a crowd. A study showed that the US last year imported around $450 million worth of fireworks from China. In 2023, US consumers bought 246.5 million pounds of fireworks. In 2022, that figure was at 436.4 million pounds. Most fireworks were imported in the state of Missouri, followed by Kansas and Nebraska. All three states, incidentally, have some of the most lax fireworks regulations in the USA. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Wyoming, Alabama, South Dakota, Montana, South Carolina, Ohio and North Dakota are the other states that import fireworks. Only Massachusetts has a complete ban on fireworks. A portrait of John Adams. Ordinarily this would be no problem for most Americans. However, over 95 per cent of America's fireworks are imported from China — on which Trump has imposed tariffs. Julie Heckman, chief of the American Pyrotechnics Association, told NPR that China is essentially the sole provider of fireworks for the United States. 'China is the global supplier of fireworks', Heckman said. 'For the US market, 99 per cent of the backyard consumer fireworks are manufactured in China and 90 per cent of the professional display fireworks are manufactured in China.' Heckman told NPR that Trump's tariff on Chinese goods, announced on 2 April during 'Liberation Day', could not have come at a worse time. She said that some firms simply stopped taking deliveries. The study showed that even if Trump keeps his tariffs on China at 30 per cent, the cost of importing fireworks last year would have gone from $452 million to $587.7 million. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If Trump instead kept the sky-high 145 per cent tariff, that would inflate the cost from $452 million to around $1.1 billion. That would essentially nearly triple the price of fireworks for customers and firms next year. Most people and companies are adequately stocked up for 2025. 'The tariffs were levied so late in the preparation for the 2025 Fourth of July season that many businesses were not contractually able to pass on the increase in cost,' Heckman said in June. John Sorgi, who runs American Fireworks Company in Ohio, predicted next year could see far less impressive fireworks displays. 'I mean, your $50,000 show is going to look like a $30,000 show. Your $30,000 dollar show is going to look like a $15,000 to $18,000 show,' Sorgi told NPR. 'And then, when you get down to the smaller shows, which are a lot of the shows, those shows will probably just have to say, 'We're not doing it''. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, some people are already feeling the effect with less choices on offer at some stores and consumers having to shell out more. Bill Weimer, vice president of Phantom Fireworks, a major vendor, told CBS, 'On about 30 per cent of our products, there's going to be some effect in the price.' However, firework displays in the immediate future could also be affected. As Steve Houser, president of Red Rhino Fireworks in Missouri told Bloomberg, 'There are very real concerns as to Labour Day, Christmas and New Year's celebrations that happen this fall and winter.' What do experts say? Experts say that the real hit to consumer wallets could come in 2026. Which would be ironic given that next year would be the 250th anniversary of the United States and the demand for fireworks would skyrocket. Though larger companies would remain largely insulated, it would be the smaller firework dealers that would be most badly hurt. Aeron Calkins, owner of Olde Glory Fireworks in Denver, told 'The big guessing game this year is whether to order fireworks for next season now or wait and see what happens with the tariffs'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Normally, I don't try to tell people to stock up, but this is a year to maybe think about it', he added Many are simply pinning their hopes on Trump himself – who is known to be fond of such displays – to reach a trade deal with China and do away on such tariffs ahead of the anniversary next year. US President Donald Trump announcing his tariffs on 'Liberation Day' on April 2. Reuters 'We know he loves fireworks', Heckman told NPR. 'And he's been talking about America's salute to the 250th from Day One. And our industry wants to be a major player in that'. Though Trump and China in June announced an agreement to deescalate trade tensions, details of the deal remain under wraps. The two countries have been at odds over tariffs for months with the Trump steadily increasing the tariffs levied on China and Beijing at one point refusing to respond. Whatever happens next, time is running out. 'With limited manufacturing time left for 2026 and a projected windfall of demand, we in the industry are very concerned for the future,' Houser told Bloomberg. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
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Business Standard
9 hours ago
- Business Standard
Ferry carrying 65 people sinks near Bali; rescuers search for 43 missing
Nine boats, including two tug boats and two inflatable boats have been searching for the missing people since Wednesday night, battling waves up to 2 metres high in the overnight darkness AP Jakarta Rescuers on Thursday were searching for 43 people missing in rough seas overnight after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java's Ketapang port late Wednesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. It was bound for Bali's Gilimanuk port, a 50-kilometre trip. The ferry carried 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, it said. Two bodies have been recovered and 20 were rescued, many of them unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, said Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra. Nine boats, including two tug boats and two inflatable boats have been searching for the missing people since Wednesday night, battling waves up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) high in the overnight darkness. Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
