The recovery of one body on Sunday prompted the teams to focus their search in the area.
On the fifth day of the search operation on Monday, all primary equipment were dispatched to the southern area off Bali Island from where the Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry was first reported sinking, a National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) officer said.
“The farthest distance of today’s search operations reaches 20–25 miles,” deputy for search and rescue operations and preparedness at the agency, Ribut Eko Suyanto, told journalists at Ketapang Port, Banyuwangi, East Java, on Monday.
During the search operation, naval vessels KRI Marlin 877 and KRI Tongkol covered the farthest distance, while five other ships performed searches up to a distance of 5, 10, and 15 miles, he said.
The vessels comprised KP Bima 7014, KN SAR Permadi, KN SAR Arjuna, KNP Granti, and KP Hiu Macan Tutul, he informed.
According to Basarnas, as of Monday morning, seven people were confirmed dead in the disaster, 30 were evacuated, and 28 remained missing.
Wahyu Setia Budi, a local SAR coordinator, earlier said that the roll-on/roll-off ferry was carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles when it left Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, East Java, at 10:56 p.m. on July 2, 2025.
The vessel sank en route to Gilimanuk Port in Bali around 11:35 p.m. the same day.
In response to the tragedy, President Prabowo Subianto has instructed all relevant government agencies to make every possible effort to rescue the remaining passengers and crew of the ill-fated ferry.
Translator: Novi H, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
