A ferry has sunk, killing 4 people and leaving at least 30 missing in the chaotic aftermath. The terrifying incident happened on Wednesday, July 2. The incident happened as the boat was traveling from Banyuwangi to Bali in Indonesia.
BBC reports that the ferry sank close to midnight near Bali. The Surabaya office of the National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed the boat's sinking. The vessel was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members on board at the time of sinking. It also had 22 vehicles on board as well. Search and rescue teams launched in the aftermath of the sinking.
They managed to rescue 31 people. However, more than 30 people are still missing, meaning the death toll is likel to rise from the tragic incident. The ferry was a KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya. It sank just a half hour after departing from its port. Officials believe that bad weather played a contributing cause in the sinking of the watercraft.
Ferry Sank Into Waters
More than 13 boats and a helicopter responded to the call of rescuing the survivors.
"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," Nanang Sigit, Surabaya Search and Rescue head, said in a statement per CNN. "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."
Rescue teams discovered survivors unconscious in the water from hours of treading water. One survivor tried to climb on top of the sinking vessel for refuge. Unfortunately, on of his fellow survivors didn't make it who he was near.
"[After being at sea] 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 [strung around the neck]," he said, per Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "One of us died while the other three survived."
President Prabowo Subianto declared an emergency response to the tragic ferry sinking.
