Four dead after ferry carrying more than 60 people sinks off the coast of Bali

At least four people have tragically died after a ferry carrying more than 60 passengers sunk near the popular Indonesian island of Bali late on Wednesday night

According to the Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency 23 have been rescued and 38 people are still missing.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java’s Ketapang port late Wednesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. It was bound for Bali’s Gilimanuk port, a 50-kilometer (30-mile) trip.

The vessel reportedly suffered a critical leak in its engine room, leading to a complete power failure and eventual capsizing. Accordinglocal media, the ferry transmitted a distress signal at 12:16am last night and a nearby ferry tried to reach the boat to help.

Despite swift response efforts, the vessel was found overturned and drifting southward by 12:22am. The ferry was believed to be carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, at the time of the incident.

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Four bodies have been recovered and 23 were rescued, many of them unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, said Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra.

Associated Press reported that nine boats, including two tug boats and two inflatable boats, have been searching for the missing people since Wednesday night, battling waves up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) high.

Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse.

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