4 dead, 38 missing after ferry sink off Indonesian coast

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least four people have been confirmed dead and 38 are still missing after a ferry sank off Indonesia's resort island of Bali, according to reports.

Al Jazeera, citing Indonesia’s search and rescue agency (BASARNAS), reported that the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank shortly after departing from East Java’s Banyuwangi port.

As of now, 29 survivors have been rescued, and the search continues with the help of nine vessels. Weather and sea conditions have reportedly improved, providing better conditions for ongoing rescue efforts.

Banyuwangi Police Chief, Rama Samtama Putra, said that many of the survivors were found unconscious after drifting for hours in the open ocean.

Meanwhile, panicked family members gathered at the port, some in tears, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones and hoping they might have survived.

This incident follows a similar tragedy in March, when a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, resulting in the death of an Australian woman and injuries to at least one other person.

kk/sa