A ferry carrying dozens of passengers and crew has sunk off the coast of Indonesia’s popular tourist island of Bali, leaving at least four people dead and many others missing, according to local rescue officials.

The vessel, which had 53 passengers and 12 crew members on board, went down at 23:20 local time (15:35 GMT) on Wednesday night while traveling from Banyuwangi on the eastern coast of Java to Gilimanuk Port in Bali. The cause of the sinking is under investigation, with initial reports suggesting engine trouble may have played a role.

The Surabaya office of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) confirmed that 29 people have been rescued so far. Search and rescue operations are continuing amid rough seas and fading hope for those still unaccounted for.

“We are doing everything we can to locate the missing individuals,” said a spokesperson for Basarnas. “Our teams have deployed boats and are scanning the waters near the site of the incident.”

The ferry route between Java and Bali is one of the busiest in Indonesia, commonly used by locals for work, trade, and tourism. Many of the survivors are residents of Banyuwangi, while others came from more inland areas of Java, according to a preliminary list released by authorities.

President Prabowo Subianto, currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, has ordered an immediate emergency response. “The safety of our citizens is paramount. I have instructed the relevant agencies to intensify rescue operations without delay,” the president said in a statement released through his office.

The ferry operator told local media that the crew had reported engine trouble shortly before the vessel sank. Authorities are now reviewing the ferry’s maintenance records and investigating possible violations of safety protocols.

Photos shared by state-run Antara News Agency showed ambulances lined up along the coast and families waiting anxiously by the roadside for updates.

Marine accidents are tragically common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of over 17,000 islands where enforcement of maritime safety standards is often inconsistent. Many vessels are aged, overloaded, or poorly maintained, leading to deadly incidents nearly every year.

In March, an Australian woman died after a small boat carrying 16 people capsized off Bali, raising renewed concerns about Indonesia’s maritime safety record.

As search efforts continue off the Bali coast, families of the missing are clinging to hope for good news, while calls for stricter maritime oversight grow louder across the country.

Chioma Kalu

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