Late Wednesday evening, a passenger ferry traveling from Ketapang on the eastern tip of Java to Gilimanuk on Bali sank, resulting in at least four confirmed fatalities and 38 people still unaccounted for.
The vessel—carrying 65 passengers and crew members along with 22 vehicles—capsized approximately five kilometers off the coast as it made its routine crossing between the two islands, according to the Associated Press.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of four victims from the sea and successfully rescued 23 survivors. Local police report that many of those pulled from the water were unconscious after spending several hours adrift before being located.
A fleet of nine boats is currently scouring the waters for the 38 remaining passengers who have yet to be found. Rescue operations were hampered overnight by rough seas, with waves reported as high as two meters.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased or the missing. The ferry service between Ketapang and Gilimanuk serves as the only direct maritime link connecting Java and Bali—two of Indonesia’s most densely populated islands—and is a vital transport route for both residents and freight
Comments
Post a Comment