On the night of July 3, a major maritime disaster occurred in the Strait of Java between the islands of Java and Bali.
Ferry with passengers sank off the coast of Bali: what is known
Just half an hour after leaving Ketapang port, the passenger ferry KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank.
According to Apnews, there were 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, on board the ship.
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According to preliminary data, the ferry was caught in a storm with waves up to two meters high, which led to the vessel capsizing and sinking.
The port duty officer saw the ferry sinking before rescuers were informed, journalists note.
“The ferry could not be contacted by radio at the beginning. Then other ships of the same company could contact it. But the ship had already capsized,” said Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya search and rescue agency.
What is known about the rescue operation
Rescuers managed to pull more than 20 passengers out of the water, but some of them were unconscious due to severe hypothermia.
They seemed to drift for hours in the rough waters, Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra said.
Unfortunately, various sources report the discovery of three or four bodies of the deceased.
However, the fate of another 38-43 people remains unknown – they are considered missing.
At least nine vessels have been deployed to the search, with coast guard ships, tugboats and inflatable boats scouring the waters in the hope of finding any survivors.
Indonesia, which consists of more than 17,000 islands, relies heavily on ferry services.
However, as we know, maritime accidents are not uncommon here. The main reasons are: overloading of ships, unexpected storms and neglect of safety standards.
