Ferry Sinks Near Bali With Dozens Missing, No Australians Aboard, Officials Say

A passenger ferry sank shortly after leaving for Bali, with 65 people and 22 vehicles on board.

Frogman Forces Command personnel of the Indonesian Navy patrol during a rehearsal a day before the opening ceremony for the Komodo 2025 multilateral naval exercise at Denpasar, in Indonesia's Bali island on Feb. 15, 2025. Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP via Getty Images

No Australians were among the victims of a ferry disaster off the coast of Indonesia that left four dead and 30 missing, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed.

In a statement released on July 3, DFAT  expressed its “sincere condolences to those impacted by the ferry accident in the Bali Strait” and said the Australian Consulate-General in Bali was receiving regular updates from local authorities.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the department said.

Australians needing urgent help are advised to contact DFAT’s 24-hour emergency line.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, a passenger and vehicle ferry carrying 65 people—including 53 passengers, 12 crew, and 22 vehicles—sank roughly 25 minutes after departing the port town of Banyuwangi in East Java.

The vessel was headed for Gilimanuk, on the Indonesian island of Bali, a route that usually takes under an hour.

Bad Weather Blamed for Sinking

Indonesian authorities said nine rescue vessels, including tug boats and inflatables, were deployed, but waves up to two metres high and darkness hampered the overnight search.

“Many of those rescued were initially unconscious after drifting in rough seas for hours,” said Banyuwangi Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra.

Four of the survivors were found using the ferry’s lifeboat, according to the national search and rescue agency in Surabaya.

While the cause of the sinking has not been formally confirmed, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said early indications pointed to bad weather.

President Prabowo Subianto, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, has ordered an emergency response to support rescue operations.

Frequent Maritime Disasters Raise Safety Concerns

The disaster has again raised concerns about maritime safety in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

Overcrowding, poor maintenance, and unpredictable weather have contributed to frequent deadly accidents.

Accurate passenger numbers are often hard to confirm, with discrepancies between official passenger lists and actual headcounts being common.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that more people were onboard the ferry than recorded.

Indonesia has a history of ferry accidents. In March this year, an Australian woman died when a boat capsized off Bali. In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank on Lake Toba in Sumatra.

Local police and rescue teams continue to search the Bali Strait as hopes fade for those still missing.