4 days ago
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.
