A FERRY carrying 65 people has sunk off the coast of Bali, leaving at least four confirmed dead and dozens still missing.
The vessel, KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, was travelling from Ketapang Port in East Java to Gilimanuk Port in Bali when disaster struck.
AFPA ferry carrying 65 people has sunk off coast of Bali leaving four dead[/caption]
APDozens are still missing after the boat reportedly suffered critical leak[/caption]
AFPSo far 29 people have been rescued – but many were found unconscious after drifting in rough seas for hours[/caption]
Authorities say the boat reported engine trouble shortly before it went down at 11.20pm local time on Wednesday.
It is believed the vessel suffered a critical leak in the engine room, causing a total power failure before capsizing.
The ferry was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members.
So far, 29 people have been rescued, with many found unconscious after drifting in rough seas for hours.
The Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency said: “Another four people died and 23 have been rescued.”
That leaves at least 32 still unaccounted for.
Search efforts have been underway since Wednesday night, with nine boats scouring the area.
Rescuers are battling waves up to two metres high.
The ferry had only just left East Java when it sank, less than 30 minutes into the 31-mile journey, CNN reports.
The boat was also carrying 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.
Its route is one of Indonesia’s busiest and frequently used by locals and freight operators.
President Prabowo Subianto, currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, has ordered an emergency response.
Authorities are investigating what went wrong—and whether more people were aboard than officially recorded.
Ferry disasters are tragically common in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where safety lapses are frequent.
Just last month, another vessel capsized near Nusa Lembongan but all passengers survived.
The Bali Strait crossing had been closed last week due to high waves, and two other ships were recently swept off course and ran aground.
Elsewhere in Indonesia, dozens more flights to tourist hotspots were cancelled after a massive ash cloud exploded from a volcano in the island of Flores.
Mount Lweotobi Laki-laki was seen spewing plumes of ash more than 11km into the sky on Tuesday – sparking fears of an impending tsunami.
Authorities raised the highest red alert and residents have been urged to avoid activities within a 7km radius around the crater.
Multiple airlines have since delayed or cancelled flights to and from Bali, the popular holiday destination west of Flores.
These include Air India, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Juneyao Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia.
Bali’s Gusti Ngurah rai International Airport showed that almost 40 flights were cancelled due to the explosion.
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APThe ferry was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members[/caption]
AlamyRescuers are battling waves up to two metres high in search for survivors[/caption]
APThe boat reported engine trouble shortly before it went down at 11.20pm local time[/caption]
AlamyMembers of Search And Rescue (SAR) teams depart for search and rescue mission from Tanjung Perak port in Surabaya, East Java[/caption]