Indonesia, Gilimanuk
AP
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Rescuers searched 30 people who went missing after the ferry sunk on Thursday, and four people died near Bali, an Indonesian resort island the night before.
As of Thursday afternoon, 31 people had been rescued by the ferry’s 53 passengers and 12 crew members, the National Search and Rescue Service said in a statement.
KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost 30 minutes later after leaving Ketapan Port late on Wednesday on a 50-kilometer (30-mile) trip to Bali’s Gilimanuk port, authorities said.
A helicopter and nine boats, including two tugs and two inflatable boats, were searched for survivors with the support of fishermen and land-based people.
Strong waves and darkness, two meters high (6.5 feet) hampered emergency responders overnight, but officials said improvements in weather and sea conditions on Thursday morning were supporting search efforts.
“For today’s search, we are focusing on searching for water as the first victim was found in the water between the location of the accident heading towards Gilimanuk Port,” Surabaya’s search and rescue director Nanang Sigit said in a statement.
Port officers witnessed the sinking before rescuers were warned.
“The ferry could not contact us via radio from the beginning. We could then contact us from other vessels from the same company. But the vessel was already tilted,” Sigit said.
Many of the rescued people were unconscious after hours of drifting in the choppy sea, said Bhanyuwangi Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra.
Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. Survivors told rescuers it appears there is a leak in the engine compartment of the ferry, which carried 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.
Some families arrived at the port panic or crying, seeking information about their loved ones.
Survivors were taken to a nearby medical facility, including Bali’s Jembrana Regional Hospital.
“When the ferry began to tilt, I was initially planning on jumping into the sea, but the ship was sinking quickly so I didn’t jump anymore, but the water that entered the ship had sunk and sank to a depth of about 7 meters (23 feet) so I quickly climbed to the summit.
He and the other three are grouping up in the water, floating with life jackets, he said.
Ferry tragedy is common in Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands. There, ferries may be frequently used as a transportation and safety regulation.
