Indonesia rescuers find 31 survivors, in ongoing search after ferry sinks near Bali
GILIMANUK, Indonesia: Rescuers were searching Thursday (July 3) for 30 people who were missing after a ferry sank and four people died the previous night near Indonesia's resort island of Bali.
As of Thursday afternoon, 31 people had been rescued from the ferry's 53 passengers and 12 crew members, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving Ketapang port in the East Java town of Banyuwangi late Wednesday for a 50-kilometre (30-mile) trip to Bali's Gilimanuk port, authorities said.
A helicopter and nine boats including two tug boats and two inflatable boats searched for survivors with assistance from fishermen and people onshore.
Strong waves up to 2m (6.5 feet) high and darkness hampered emergency responders overnight, but an official said improved weather and sea conditions Thursday morning were assisting the search effort.
"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,' Surabaya Search and Rescue head Nanang Sigit said in a statement.
An officer at the port witnessed the sinking before rescuers could be alerted.
"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,' Sigit said.
Many of those rescued were unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, Banyuwangi Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra said.
Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Survivors told rescuers there appeared to be a leak in the engine room of the ferry, which was carrying 22 vehicles including 14 trucks.
Some family members arrived at the port in a panic or weeping as they sought information about their loved ones.
Survivors were taken to nearby medical facilities including Jembrana Regional Hospital in Bali.
"When the ferry started to tilt, I initially intended to jump into the sea, but the ship quickly sank, so I did not jump any more but sank with the water entering the ship, maybe about 7m (23 feet) deep, so I immediately climbed up to the top,' said Supardi, 64, a survivor at the hospital.
He and three other people grouped together in the water and used life jackets to say afloat, he said.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse. - AP
_
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Indonesia rescuers find 31 survivors, in ongoing search after ferry sinks near Bali
Abu Khoiri (middle) and Supardi (left) survivors of KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry sinking, waiting at Gilimanuk port after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near Bali on July 3, 2025. - Reuters GILIMANUK, Indonesia: Rescuers were searching Thursday (July 3) for 30 people who were missing after a ferry sank and four people died the previous night near Indonesia's resort island of Bali. As of Thursday afternoon, 31 people had been rescued from the ferry's 53 passengers and 12 crew members, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving Ketapang port in the East Java town of Banyuwangi late Wednesday for a 50-kilometre (30-mile) trip to Bali's Gilimanuk port, authorities said. A helicopter and nine boats including two tug boats and two inflatable boats searched for survivors with assistance from fishermen and people onshore. Strong waves up to 2m (6.5 feet) high and darkness hampered emergency responders overnight, but an official said improved weather and sea conditions Thursday morning were assisting the search effort. "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,' Surabaya Search and Rescue head Nanang Sigit said in a statement. An officer at the port witnessed the sinking before rescuers could be alerted. "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,' Sigit said. Many of those rescued were unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, Banyuwangi Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra said. Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Survivors told rescuers there appeared to be a leak in the engine room of the ferry, which was carrying 22 vehicles including 14 trucks. Some family members arrived at the port in a panic or weeping as they sought information about their loved ones. Survivors were taken to nearby medical facilities including Jembrana Regional Hospital in Bali. "When the ferry started to tilt, I initially intended to jump into the sea, but the ship quickly sank, so I did not jump any more but sank with the water entering the ship, maybe about 7m (23 feet) deep, so I immediately climbed up to the top,' said Supardi, 64, a survivor at the hospital. He and three other people grouped together in the water and used life jackets to say afloat, he said. Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse. - AP _
New Straits Times
17 hours ago
- New Straits Times
A water-saving tool in drought-hit Chile: human hair
SANTIAGO: Small mats of human hair line the base of plants, helping lock in moisture for crops in orchards around Chile that have been struggling with drought for years. The hair, which is turned into sheets and discs of compostable mulch through mechanical weaving, reduces direct evaporation by 71 per cent and saves up to 48 per cent of irrigation water, according to the Matter of Trust Chile foundation, which makes the hair mats. "Hair is very interesting. It contains nutrients, nitrogen, calcium, sulfur, and organic matter that is added to the soil, improving it and enhancing plant growth and agricultural production by at least 30 per cent," said Mattia Carenini, CEO of the foundation. Farmer Maria Salazar said the hair has helped get excellent crop yield from lemon trees in Taltal, about 900 kilometers (560 miles) north of the Chilean capital in the arid Antofagasta region. "The hair mats are a benefit to the system and water stress we're facing," Salazar said. "By providing shade, they maintain a lot of humidity and prevent the sun's rays from evaporating the little water we have." The foundation was created in 2020 to promote conservation and regeneration through the creative use of waste. The hair is sourced from deals with 350 salons and 10 pet groomers around Chile, with about 2 per cent of the hair used in the mats coming from pets. Other products from the foundation include a liquid fertilizer made from recycled hair and a hair-based absorbent for recovering oils, metals and other contaminants from water. — REUTERS
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Four dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks near Bali, agency says
Family members wait for updates on the search operation for 38 people who were missing after a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, at Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, East Java on July 3, 2025. - AFP JAKARTA: Four people died, 38 were missing and 23 survived after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near the Indonesian island of Bali, the country's Search and Rescue agency said on Thursday (July 3). The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java province's Banyuwangi port on its way to Bali late on Wednesday, the agency said on Thursday. The boat was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members, as well as 22 vehicles, the agency said. A search for the missing is underway although it is being hampered by strong currents and winds, the agency added. 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. - Reuters
