At least 18 passengers from the sunken KM Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry were found in the waters off Jembrana, Bali, after being swept from the vessel when it sank late Wednesday night in the Bali Strait.
Seventeen of the passengers were discovered by fishermen from Pabuahan hamlet in Banyubiru village, Negara district, while one more was located off Candikusuma village in nearby Melaya district, according to local officials.
“Of the 17 found by fishermen, four were dead, one was in critical condition, and the rest survived,” said Kanzan, the head of Pabuahan hamlet.
The search continued Thursday morning, with local fishermen joining the rescue effort as they patrolled offshore areas.
One survivor, 40-year-old Saiful Munir from Jember, East Java, said he managed to survive after finding a life jacket while adrift.
“I was able to survive because I found a life jacket in the water,” he told police after being brought to Gilimanuk for medical checks. Munir said he had departed from Jember with a friend, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
