Indonesian rescuers hurried to locate victims in choppy waters on Thursday after five people perished and numerous others went missing when a ferry with 65 individuals aboard sank near Bali, as reported by search and rescue agencies.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya went down almost 30 minutes after departing from East Java province’s Banyuwangi port, heading to Bali late on Wednesday, according to the national search and rescue agency.
The vessel had 53 passengers and 12 crew members on board, along with 22 vehicles, as stated by the national agency. So far, thirty-five people have been rescued, but the others remain missing, the East Java rescue agency indicated.
The ship was rated to carry 67 people and 25 vehicles, according to Indonesia’s transport ministry.
A search for the missing is underway although it is being hampered by strong currents and winds, the national rescue agency said. It has deployed a helicopter to the location and 13 underwater rescuers, it said.
Video provided by 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.
The passengers were all Indonesian, the transport ministry said.
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.
