A fast boat carrying 89 passengers, most of them foreign tourists, capsized off the coast of Nusa Lembongan on Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a wave, prompting scenes of panic as travelers scrambled to escape the listing vessel.
The vessel, identified as The Tanis, had just departed from Tanjung Sanghyang Harbor in Nusa Lembongan, part of Klungkung Regency, when it lost balance and flipped around 16.30 WITA.
The moment was captured on video and quickly spread across social media, showing passengers screaming, jumping into the water, and attempting to flee the vessel with their belongings.
“There were four crew members and one captain on board,” said Police Commissioner Agus Widiono, head of public relations for the Klungkung Police, adding that the boat had just begun its journey toward Sanur Harbor on Bali’s mainland.
Frantic Attempts to Escape
Multiple videos show chaos aboard the vessel as passengers, unable to quickly exit through the boat’s narrow passages, attempted to force their way out. In one widely shared clip, a female tourist is seen kicking through a small window to create an escape route, allowing others to follow her out and dive into the sea.
“The boat tilted to the left and eventually capsized close to shore,” Widiono said.
Local residents rushed to the scene to assist in the evacuation, which continued until approximately 18.30 WITA. Police confirmed that there were no fatalities and no passengers left trapped inside the boat or underwater.
Survivors Await Return to Mainland
Two foreign nationals were transported back to Sanur following the incident, while the remaining passengers chose to stay on Nusa Lembongan, according to Widiono.
Police divers were deployed to scour the submerged vessel and seabed, confirming that all passengers had been accounted for. Authorities have not released the nationalities of those involved.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, but officials indicated the capsizing was triggered by a sudden wave impact shortly after departure.
