Search resumes for 30 missing after Bali-bound ferry capsizes in rough seas, killing six including a child.

JAKARTA, July 4 — At least six people, including a three-year-old child, have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a ferry sank in rough seas en route to Bali, according to Indonesian rescue authorities. So far, 29 survivors have been rescued from the water.

The ferry, carrying 65 passengers and crew, capsized late Wednesday night while travelling from Java to the popular tourist island of Bali. As of Thursday, search and rescue teams were still racing to locate 30 people unaccounted for.

“The ferry suddenly tilted and sank,” said survivor Eka Toniansyah, who was treated at a Bali hospital. “Most passengers were Indonesians. I was with my father. He didn’t make it.”

The sixth confirmed fatality—a three-year-old boy—was found Thursday evening, rescue officials said.

“All available search and rescue resources have been deployed, resulting in 29 survivors and six confirmed deaths,” said Ribut Eko Suyatno from the national search and rescue agency.

Earlier, Nanang Sigit, head of the Surabaya rescue agency, had put the death toll at five with 29 still missing. He said strong winds, powerful currents, and waves as high as 2.5 metres (8 feet) initially hampered the rescue operation, but weather conditions had since improved.

A team of 54 rescue personnel was deployed, equipped with inflatable boats and later supported by a larger vessel from Surabaya. A helicopter was also dispatched to aid in the search.

President Prabowo Subianto, currently in Saudi Arabia, has ordered immediate emergency measures, according to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. He attributed the incident to “bad weather.”

The search was temporarily suspended Thursday evening and will resume on Friday. Nanang said efforts will expand based on current patterns if victims remain unaccounted for.

The ferry, which was also transporting 22 vehicles including 14 trucks, was travelling from Ketapang port in Java to Gilimanuk port in Bali—a busy one-hour route frequently used by vehicles crossing between the islands.

Of the survivors, four managed to save themselves using the ferry’s lifeboat and were rescued early Thursday.

Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands, regularly experiences maritime accidents due to a combination of poor safety enforcement and challenging weather.

Earlier this year, a boat carrying 16 people capsized off Bali, killing an Australian woman. In 2018, over 150 people drowned when a ferry sank in Lake Toba, one of the world’s deepest lakes, on Sumatra island. — AFP