61 missing after boat sinks off Bali, says Indonesian rescue agency

Bali's seas, best known for surfing, can also be dangerous. The ferry, carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew and 22 vehicles, sank in the Bali Strait early this morning (NZ time). Photo / Getty Images

At least 61 people are missing after a ferry sank off the popular Indonesian resort island of Bali, a search and rescue agency says.

The vessel sank about 11.20pm local time on Wednesday (3.20am today, NZ time) in the Bali Strait as it sailed from Indonesia’s main island, Java.

“The ferry’s manifest data totalled 53 passengers and 12 [crew],” the Java-based Surabaya search and rescue agency said, adding that rescue efforts were still under way.

“The ferry, which is estimated to have sunk at 23:20 local time, also contained 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks.”

It later said four people were rescued this morning.

Marine accidents are a regular occurrence in Indonesia, an archipelago of about 17,000 islands, in part because of lax safety standards.

In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, killing an Australian woman and injuring at least one other person.

In 2018, more than 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in one of the world’s deepest lakes on Sumatra island.

- Agence France-Presse