By News18
At least two people were reported dead and over 40 missing after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near Indonesia鈥檚 Bali.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank only half an hour after it left East Java鈥檚 Ketapang port late Wednesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement.
According to the official statement, the ferry had 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles on board, including 14 trucks.
The Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra mentioned that the officials have recovered two bodies, while 20 people were rescued, mostly unconscious, according to a report by AP.
A search operation was launched following the accident on Wednesday night, involving nine boats, including two tugboats and two inflatable boats.
Notably, ferry accidents are common in Indonesia, as they are used as transport and safety regulations can lapse.
Other Similar Incidents In Indonesia
In June, a ferry with 89 passengers on board, including crew, capsized and sank in Bali鈥檚 Nusa Lembongan. No casualties were reported in the incident and all the passengers were rescued safely.
In another incident that took place in May, seven domestic tourists were killed and 34 others injured after a wooden vessel sank in Bengkulu province of Indonesia.
In March, a smaller vessel carrying 13 people (11 Australians, 2 crew) capsized off Nusa Penida during snorkeling. The incident left a 39-year-old Australian woman dead and two others injured.