Six dead, dozens missing after ferry sinks off Bali
At least six people have died and dozens are missing after a ferry sank off Indonesia's tourist island of Bali, rescuers said.
The boat was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members when it sank at 23:20 local time (15:35 GMT) on Wednesday while on its way to Bali from Banyuwangi on the eastern coast of Java island, the Surabaya office of the National Search and Rescue Agency said.
Thirty-one survivors have been rescued, the agency says, as the search continues. However, several reports indicate there may have been more passengers on board than were listed on the official manifest.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the sinking.
The BBC has spoken with families of the victims, who said their relatives' names are not among the 65 listed on the official passenger manifest.
In Indonesia, discrepancies between actual passenger numbers and official manifests are common, often complicating rescue efforts and the identification of victims.
Many of the survivors are residents of the coastal town of Banyuwangi while others come from more inland areas of Java, according to a list released by authorities.
Imron, a resident of Banyuwangi, says the ferry capsized quickly after tilting sharply three times.
"By the third time, sea water had already entered the passenger cabin," he says.
Imron swam through a gap in the ferry and drifted into the open sea, before finding a life jacket. He was later rescued by a fisherman.
Bejo Santoso, another survivor, jumped off the ferry in time and managed to reach for a life jacket.
"About three minutes after the ship started rolling, it capsized. I still had time to jump," he told Indonesia's Antara news agency.
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an immediate emergency response from Saudi Arabia, where he is on an official visit.
The vessel's route - one of Indonesia's busiest - is often used by locals going between the islands of Java and Bali.
Photos published by Antara news agency showed ambulances on standby and residents waiting for updates by the roadside.
Marine accidents are frequent in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of around 17,000 islands, where uneven enforcement of safety regulations is a longstanding concern.
In March, an Australian woman died after a boat with 16 people on board capsized off Bali.
-BBC
