Death toll from Indonesia's Bali Strait ship sinking rises to 15

Jakarta, July 10 (IANS) The death toll from a passenger ship sinking in Indonesia's Bali Strait has risen to 15 as of Thursday, while search continued for 20 people still missing, a local official said.

Two bodies were found this morning and another on Wednesday evening, bringing the total death toll to 15, said Novita Nirmala, a senior official from the East Java Search and Rescue Office, told Xinhua news agency.

A wooden ship was en route from Ketapang seaport in Banyuwangi regency, East Java province, to Gilimanuk seaport in Jembrana regency, Bali Island, when it sank before midnight on July 2.

The Indonesian rescue authorities had launched a joint Search and Rescue (SAR) operation following the sinking of the KM Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry which was carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles when it went down in the waters between Java and Bali islands.

The search and rescue operations were launched from both Bali Island and East Java, as the incident occurred near the maritime boundary between the two regions.

Harsh weather had posed significant challenges to the rescue efforts as visibility had decreased from 10 kilometres to only three kilometers on several occasions, waves reached heights of 2.5 metres, and strong winds were present in the area.

The investigation by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) is focusing on several key areas, including whether proper procedures were followed for the ship's departure, the seaworthiness of the vessel KM Tunu Pratama Jaya, the completeness of its documentation, and how the emergency response was carried out when the accident occurred.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had also issued a warning about the threat of extreme weather conditions following the deadly maritime accident.

On July 3, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had ordered the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) to immediately rescue the passengers and crew of the inter-island ferry, which sank in the Bali Strait due to severe weather.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya had stated that the country's President had issued the directive directly from Saudi Arabia, where he was performing the Umrah pilgrimage and undertaking an official visit.

--IANS

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