 "Boat carrying 65 sinks near Bali, 43 missing; rescue operation on. Image: Agencies")
Two people have died and 43 are missing after a ferry with 65 people on board sank near Indonesia’s resort island of Bali overnight. Rescuers continued searching on Thursday amid rough seas.
The ferry, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, sank about 30 minutes after leaving Ketapang port in East Java late Wednesday. It was heading to Gilimanuk port in Bali, about 50 kilometers away, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency.
The vessel was carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, the Associated Press reported, citing the rescue agency.
Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra said two bodies have been recovered so far, and 20 people have been rescued. Many survivors were found unconscious after drifting for hours in rough waters.
Nine boats—including two tugboats and two inflatable boats—have been involved in the search since Wednesday night, battling waves as high as two meters (6.5 feet).