61 missing after boat sinks near Indonesia's Bali: Local rescue agency
The vessel sank in the Bali Strait as it sailed to Bali from Indonesia's main island Java.
DENPASAR - At least 61 people were missing after a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, a local search and rescue agency said on July 3.
The vessel sank around 11.20pm on July 2 in the Bali Strait as it sailed to the famous holiday destination from Indonesia's main island Java, Surabaya search and rescue agency said in a statement.
'The ferry's manifest data totalled 53 passengers and 12 passenger crews,' the Java-based agency said, adding rescue efforts were still underway.
'The ferry, which is estimated to have sunk at 23:20 local time, also contained 22 vehicles including 14 trucks,' it said.
The agency said in a later statement that four people were rescued in the early hours of July 3.
Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, a South-east Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, in part due to lax safety standards.
In March, a
boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, killing an Australian woman and injuring at least one other person.
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In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in one of the world's deepest lakes on Sumatra island. AFP
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