At least seven are dead and 11 people are missing after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Bali, Indonesia, amid rough seas, authorities informed Wednesday.
The KMP Yunicee, with a total of 53 passengers and crew onboard, was en route from East Java to Bali when the incident occurred as the ferry tried to dock near Gilimanuk port, at the western end of the island, according to local media.
Dozens of people were rescued from the water as the Indonesian authorities responded to the incident, many of whom were unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, CNA reported.
However, the latest figures reveal that 11 people remain unaccounted for while 7 were pulled dead from the water. The cause of the accident is yet to be determined.
Marine casualties are not uncommon in the country, which includes an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands with several boats and ferries circulating every day.
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In the most recent cases, dozens remained missing after the ferry ‘Sinar Bangun’ with about 80 people onboard sank while underway in Lake Toba, in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province in June 2018, while some days later, at least 34 people were confirmed dead after the ferry ‘KM Lestari Maju’ sank off the coast off Bulukumba, South Indonesia.
Most recently, in June 2019, over 17 people were confirmed dead after the overloaded Arim Jaya ferry was capsized off the coast of Giliyang Island, East Java, Indonesia.
