In the early hours of Thursday, local time, the ferry, which was transporting 53 passengers and 12 crew members from Banyuwangi on Java island to Bali, sank around 23:20. The National Search and Rescue Agency reported that 31 individuals had been rescued, while more than a dozen remain missing. The vessel potentially suffered engine issues prior to the incident, and witnesses have indicated that the ferry was further destabilized by adverse weather conditions.
Eyewitness accounts describe a rapid progression of disaster, with the ferry reportedly tilting several times before capsizing. Imron, a local resident and survivor, recounted how the vessel filled with water as he escaped through a gap, eventually finding a life jacket. Another survivor, Bejo Santoso, leapt off the sinking ferry just moments before it rolled over.
President Prabowo Subianto, currently on an official trip to Saudi Arabia, has instructed authorities to expedite emergency response measures. The ferry's route is known for being one of the busiest in the region, often utilized by commuters traveling between Java and Bali. With a history of frequent marine accidents due to inadequate safety regulation enforcement, Indonesia's waters present ongoing risks to ferries and their passengers.
As search efforts continue, residents have gathered, anxiously awaiting news on their loved ones, highlighting the broader challenges facing Indonesia's maritime safety standards. Last March, a separate incident off Bali claimed the life of an Australian woman when a boat capsized, emphasizing an urgent need for improved safety protocols at sea.
Eyewitness accounts describe a rapid progression of disaster, with the ferry reportedly tilting several times before capsizing. Imron, a local resident and survivor, recounted how the vessel filled with water as he escaped through a gap, eventually finding a life jacket. Another survivor, Bejo Santoso, leapt off the sinking ferry just moments before it rolled over.
President Prabowo Subianto, currently on an official trip to Saudi Arabia, has instructed authorities to expedite emergency response measures. The ferry's route is known for being one of the busiest in the region, often utilized by commuters traveling between Java and Bali. With a history of frequent marine accidents due to inadequate safety regulation enforcement, Indonesia's waters present ongoing risks to ferries and their passengers.
As search efforts continue, residents have gathered, anxiously awaiting news on their loved ones, highlighting the broader challenges facing Indonesia's maritime safety standards. Last March, a separate incident off Bali claimed the life of an Australian woman when a boat capsized, emphasizing an urgent need for improved safety protocols at sea.
