Search continues for 30 missing after Bali ferry accident

SBS Australia

03-07-2025

Rescuers are searching for more than 30 people that remain missing in rough seas after a ferry sank near Bali, Indonesia. Indonesia's Search and Rescue agency says four bodies have been recovered and 30 people have been rescued, many of them unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours. The National Search and Rescue Agency says the ferry sank about half an hour after leaving East Java's Ketapang port, en route to Bali's Gilimanuk, a 50-kilometre trip. There were 53 passengers and 12 crew members aboard when the ferry sank. One survivor says it was a long and terrifying wait for rescue. "After the boat sunk I met two other people whom I eventually joined. Then another person joined, so there were four of us in total, each using a life jacket. Until this morning, one of us died while the other three survived." Search and Rescue say the search for the 30 missing people is being hampered by strong currents and winds, but they've deployed a helicopter to the location and 13 underwater rescuers. A man from Northern New South Wales has died after contracting an extremely rare, rabies-like bat virus. New South Wales Health confirmed the man in his 50s has died, after being bitten by a bat several months ago. The deceased was the first Australian bat lyssavirus case ever recorded in the state and only the fourth in the country. Bat lyssavirus transmits from infected bats to humans when virus in their saliva enters the body through a bite or scratch. It is extremely rare for the virus to transmit to humans because it does not spread through the air. There is no effective treatment. The alleged importers of a load of mosaic tiles have been accused of hiding $333 million worth of methamphetamine in a shipment from the Middle East. The shipment was intercepted by border authorities in Sydney in April leading to the arrests of three men who are now facing drug charges. Forensic testing found the 360 boxes in a storage facility in Chullora containing about 360kg of methamphetamine. Acting Commander for Australian Federal Police Peter Fogarty says the haul sends a strong message to criminals. "No matter how elaborate your attempts are to import illicit drugs into the community, the AFP and our partners have the skills, the experience and the technology to stop them. All we need is one opportunity and you face the prospect of spending a significant part of your life in a jail cell." Australia's arts community has welcomed the reinstatement of Lebanese Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as the country's representatives at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Creative Australia apologised to the artistic duo for dropping them from the globally renowned arts exhibition, over concerns regarding one of Mr Sabsabi's early works, which depicted a leader of Lebanese group Hezbollah. Creative Australia had feared including Mr Sabsabi could be divisive and jeopardise public support for the Australian arts community. The organisation reversed this decision after significant backlash. Sarah Mansour, a Lebanese Australian lawyer and artist, tells SBS Arabic she is relieved by the decision to reinstate the pair as Australia's representatives. 'Yeah, I am really elated. It's kind of reinstated my hope in the Australian private sector and creative Australia specifically. It's illustrated the importance of risk mitigation and risk management procedures. As an artist, I feel like my faith has been restored.' Aussie Jordan Thompson has fought his way through another five-set battle to earn a spot in the third round at Wimbledon. Thompson beat Benjamin Bonzi in five sets, taking the first set before losing in a second set tie-break and then dropping the third set. He then charged back to comfortably dominate the Frenchman in the fourth and fifth sets, winning out in just under four hours. The Sydneysider came into this championship wearing a brace for a niggling back injury. After the match, which lasted just under four hours, he tells Stan Sport had been brutal on his back.
"Yeah, well, I've adjusted my service technique, the way I position myself on return, obviously I think I've seen snails miove quicker than me on the court. So it's been really tough, but I've just been trying to take the game on and get to the net because I do feel like when I get to the net it doesn't really bother my back as much. so, just got to try and get there."