Ferry Tragedy Near Bali: Search for Missing Intensifies

Rescuers are searching for 38 missing individuals after a ferry sank near Bali. Four deaths have been reported, while 23 people have been rescued. The ferry, departing from Ketapang port, sank after 30 minutes on its voyage to Gilimanuk port. Nine boats are involved in the rescue operation.

Rescue teams intensified their efforts on Thursday to locate 38 missing individuals following a nighttime ferry disaster near Indonesia's famed Bali island.

The tragedy, which claimed four lives and saw 23 passengers rescued, occurred late Wednesday when the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya capsized just half an hour after departing Ketapang port in East Java. The ferry had been en route to Bali's Gilimanuk port, traversing a 50-kilometer stretch of sea and carrying 53 passengers and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.

Battling challenging conditions, rescuers deployed nine boats, navigating through waves as high as 2 meters in the search for survivors. Maritime accidents have unfortunately become frequent in Indonesia, an island nation renowned for its ferry transport system but often hindered by lax safety measures.

(With inputs from agencies.)