Video: Ferry Capsizes off Bali
The ferry Rafelia II, carrying over 70 passengers and crew, capsized and sank in the Bali Strait on Friday. The ferry's operators said that a total of 71 people were rescued, but the helmsman and an officer remain missing.
The Jakarta Globe reports that there was an incomplete passenger manifest and the total number aboard may not be fully known. There were also over 30 vehicles and trucks aboard, including minibuses.
The Indonesian National Armed Forces units deployed patrol boats to respond to the incident, and several small fishing vessels also assisted. The armed forces and the Ketapang Disaster Mitigation Agency continue to search for survivors.
The ferry was en route from Gilimanuk, Bali, to Banyuwangi, East Java. Officials suggested that a leak was responsible, but investigations are ongoing.
Footage shows the casualty progressing rapidly, as the ferry listed and capsized within minutes.
Ferry accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia. Media report that a combination of low maintenance standards and routine overloading contribute to a relatively high casualty rate in the archipelago nation. In December alone, 120 passengers went missing in the loss of the Marina Baru 02 off Sulawesi, and at least 13 were killed in the capsize of an overloaded speedboat on the Kapuas River.