A tragic incident has occurred near Bali, Indonesia, where at least five people have lost their lives and many others are still unaccounted for after a ferry accident. The vessel, carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members, sank around 11:20 PM local time on Wednesday while traveling from Banyuwangi on Java’s eastern coast to Bali, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency in Surabaya.

Rescue teams have managed to save 31 individuals, and the operation to locate the missing is ongoing. Authorities are looking into the causes behind the sinking, with initial reports indicating engine issues just before the ferry went down, while some local media suggested that adverse weather conditions played a role.

Among the survivors, many hail from Banyuwangi, while others are from more inland Java areas, as detailed in an official list. One survivor, Imron from Banyuwangi, recounted how the ferry capsized unexpectedly after tipping sharply three times. “By the third time, water had already flooded the passenger cabin,” he said. He managed to escape through a gap and floated in the open sea until he found a life jacket, eventually being rescued by a fisherman.

Another survivor, Bejo Santoso, noted that he had the presence of mind to jump off the ferry just in time. “About three minutes after the ship began rolling, it flipped over. I still had time to leap,” he shared with Indonesia’s Antara news agency.

In response to the disaster, President Prabowo Subianto, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, has initiated an emergency response. The route the ferry took is a busy corridor for locals traveling between Java and Bali.

Images shared by Antara show ambulances on standby and anxious residents awaiting news by the roadside. Marine accidents are unfortunately common in Indonesia’s vast archipelago, where safety regulations are often inconsistently enforced. Just last March, an Australian woman tragically lost her life when a boat capsized off Bali with 16 people on board.