A passenger ferry with dozens of people on board sank near Bali at night.
Rescuers in Indonesia are searching for 32 people missing after a ferry capsized near the island of Bali on Thursday. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank shortly after leaving Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, East Java, the previous evening.
This was reported by the AP publication.
The ferry was heading to the port of Gilimanuk in Bali, a distance of about 50 kilometers. On board were 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.
According to the National Search and Rescue Agency, 29 people were rescued, and four more bodies were found at sea.
The search operations were complicated at night by strong waves up to 2 meters and lack of visibility. In the morning, the weather conditions improved, which allowed the operation to be intensified. Nine boats are involved in the search, including two tugboats, two inflatable vessels, as well as local fishermen.
Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency chief Nanang Sigit said there was no contact with the ferry immediately after it set out to sea. Other company vessels were able to contact it after it capsized.
Some of the passengers who were drifting in the water were found unconscious, Banyuwangi Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra said.
Relatives of the missing arrived at the port where the ferry departed. People were waiting for news in panic, many were crying.
Such incidents are not uncommon in Indonesia. The country's difficult geography makes ferries a popular mode of transport, but safety regulations are often not followed.
Recall that a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia, sending a huge cloud of ash into the sky. Dozens of flights to and from the resort island of Bali were cancelled.
Earlier we wrote about a tourist who sold everything for a three-year cruise, was kicked off the ship because of her WhatsApp SMS.
