Govind Tekale
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry sank off the coast of Indonesia’s Bali on Wednesday night, leaving at least six people dead and 29 missing as rescuers battle rough waters and poor visibility in their search efforts.
The ferry, carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles (including 14 trucks), sank approximately 30 minutes after departing from Ketapang port in East Java. It was bound for Gilimanuk port in Bali, a journey of about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) that typically takes about an hour.
“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,” said Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya Search and Rescue agency.
Survivor Bejo Santoso, 52, described how strong waves caused the ferry to sway about 30 minutes after leaving port. The vessel began to roll to its left, causing vehicles to pile up on one side before sinking rapidly within five minutes. Many passengers jumped into the water, scrambling for life jackets.
Another survivor, Imron, reported that sea water had already entered the passenger cabin by the third time the ferry tilted sharply. He managed to swim through a gap in the ferry and drift into the open sea before finding a life jacket and being rescued by a fisherman.
Among the confirmed dead were a three-year-old boy and his mother, whose bodies were recovered Thursday afternoon. So far, 29 to 31 people have been rescued, many initially unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours.
Search operations have been hampered by severe weather conditions, with waves reaching up to 2.5 meters (8 feet), strong winds, and powerful currents that shifted victims southward from the initial search area. Rescuers temporarily suspended the search Thursday evening due to visibility problems but planned to resume Friday morning.
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Over 160 rescuers, including police and military personnel, have been deployed with four vessels and several helicopters to locate missing passengers. Divers have been hindered by the fact that the ferry is “fully submerged,” raising concerns that some victims may be trapped inside.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, currently on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, immediately ordered emergency response teams to conduct rescue operations.
This tragedy highlights Indonesia’s troubling maritime safety record. As an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, ferries are a vital transportation mode, but the country has experienced numerous maritime accidents due to lax safety standards, overcrowding, and inadequate life-saving equipment.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, Indonesia has experienced more than 100 civilian marine accidents since 1945. A 2022 report noted that while Indonesia’s ferry fatalities decreased from previous years, the country still recorded 52 deaths from five known accidents that year.
In June 2018, more than 160 people died when the Sinar Bangun ferry sank in Lake Toba after being loaded to four times its capacity with inadequate life jackets. Earlier this year in March, a boat capsized off Bali, killing an Australian woman.
Officials have not yet determined if the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya was overloaded at the time of the accident, but they have attributed the sinking primarily to bad weather conditions.
As families anxiously await news at ports in East Java and Bali, the incident serves as another somber reminder of the ongoing challenges in ensuring maritime safety across Indonesia’s vast island chain.
