Rescue crews search for survivors after ferry sinks near Bali
Four bodies have been recovered since rescue efforts began.
The National Search and Recovery Agency have so far confirmed that 31 people have been rescued with improvements to weather and sea conditions in the early hours, helping to aid the search for survivors.
Family members of those onboard fled to the ferry's departure port in panic, hoping for information and reassurance about their loved ones.
There were 65 people onboard the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, including 12 members of staff, which sank almost 30 minutes after leaving Ketapang port in the East Java town of Banguwangi late on Wednesday.
The ferry was heading to Bali's Gilimanuk port, overall a 30 mile trip.
A helicopter and nine boats including two tug boats and two inflatables boats as well as people onshore and local fishermen helped with the search for victims.
The incident was witnessed by the on-duty officer at the port before it was reported to the rescue team.
'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,' said Nanang Sigit, head of Surabaya Search and Rescue agency, in a statement.
'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.
Police have confirmed that many of those who have been rescued were found unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transportation and safety regulations have been a long-standing concern.
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Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
Indonesia resumes search for 30 missing ferry passengers
GILIMANUK, Indonesia, July 4 (Reuters) - Indonesian rescuers are battling strong currents on Friday as they resume the search for 30 people still missing at sea about 35 hours after a ferry sank killing at least six people, officials said. The ferry named KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya was carrying 65 people, all Indonesians, when it sank about 30 minutes after setting sail from East Java bound for the holiday island of Bali on Wednesday night, said search and rescue agency official Ribut Eko Suyatno. Twenty-nine survivors were rescued on Thursday before the search was called off due to poor visibility. Dayu Made Silawati, 55, said her husband, Dewa Gede Adyana Putra Usia, was travelling on the ferry to pick up supplies in Bali for his job as a truck driver. Waiting for news at a rescue centre in Bali, she said the last time she spoke to him was on Wednesday night. "'I just got on the ship,'" she recalled him saying. "I said to him, 'be careful', dear." At 4 a.m. on Thursday, Silawati said she called him again, and again. There was no answer. Rescue operations resumed on Friday in the waters of Bali Strait involving ships, helicopters, and hundreds of rescuers, Eko said. Strong currents and rain are expected. Transportation safety investigators would probe the cause of the sinking when the search is over, officials said. The ferry was not overloaded when it went down, officials said on Thursday. Ferries are a common mode of transportation in Indonesia, a nation of over 17,000 islands, and lax safety standards allow vessels to be overcrowded with inadequate life-saving equipment.
ITV News
4 days ago
- ITV News
Rescue crews search for survivors after ferry sinks near Bali
Rescuers in Bali are continuing to search for 30 people who remain missing after a ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island. Four bodies have been recovered since rescue efforts began. The National Search and Recovery Agency have so far confirmed that 31 people have been rescued with improvements to weather and sea conditions in the early hours, helping to aid the search for survivors. Family members of those onboard fled to the ferry's departure port in panic, hoping for information and reassurance about their loved ones. There were 65 people onboard the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, including 12 members of staff, which sank almost 30 minutes after leaving Ketapang port in the East Java town of Banguwangi late on Wednesday. The ferry was heading to Bali's Gilimanuk port, overall a 30 mile trip. A helicopter and nine boats including two tug boats and two inflatables boats as well as people onshore and local fishermen helped with the search for victims. The incident was witnessed by the on-duty officer at the port before it was reported to the rescue team. '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,' said Nanang Sigit, head of Surabaya Search and Rescue agency, in a statement. '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. Police have confirmed that many of those who have been rescued were found unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours. Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transportation and safety regulations have been a long-standing concern.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Four dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks near Indonesia's Bali, agency says
JAKARTA, July 3 (Reuters) - Four people died, 30 were missing and 31 survived after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, the country's Search and Rescue agency said on Thursday, as rescuers raced to find victims in the rough sea. 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 said, adding it had deployed a helicopter to the location and 13 underwater rescuers. Video provided by the national rescue agency Basarnas showed what appeared to be the body of one person being carried to shore from a fishing boat in calm seas. There has been no official statement on the nationalities of the passengers, but a manifest list broadcast by news channel MetroTV indicated there were no foreigners on board. Ferries are a common mode of transport in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, and accidents are common as lax safety standards often allow vessels to be overloaded without adequate life-saving equipment. A small ferry capsized in 2023 near Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 15 people.
