Four dead, 38 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali
Jakarta (AP): Rescuers were searching on Thursday for 38 people missing in rough seas overnight after a ferry sank near Indonesia's resort island of Bali.
Another four people died and 23 have been rescued, according to the Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency.
The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving East Java's Ketapang port late Wednesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement. It was bound for Bali's Gilimanuk port, a 50-kilometre trip.
The ferry carried 53 passengers, 12 crew members and 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, it said.
Many of those rescued were initially unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, said Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra.
Nine boats, including two tug boats and two inflatable boats have been searching for the missing people, battling waves up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) high in the overnight darkness.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka: Home Department asks motorists to drive on highways with caution to avoid robbery
Belagavi: The Home Department has advised motorists to stay alert while travelling on national and state highways, warning that gangs involved in robbery and extortion have been active in several stretches. It said people should be extra cautious if anyone tries to stop their vehicle in isolated areas.
Replying to an unstarred question on Thursday, the department said Karnataka has recorded 403 highway robbery cases in the past three years. According to the data, national highways saw 81 extortion and 23 robbery cases in 2023, followed by 66 extortion and 16 robbery cases in 2024. Until November 15 this year, 51 extortion and 14 robbery cases have been reported.
ALSO READ: 2,84,881 posts vacant in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah inform Legislative Council
On state highways, 39 extortion and 17 robberies were reported in 2023, while 2024 saw 35 extortion and 22 robbery cases. In 2025 so far, 20 extortion and 19 robbery cases have taken place. The department noted that curbing highway robberies remains a major challenge for the police.
To tackle the issue, police stations have been directed to set up regular checkpoints on stretches of highways passing through their limits. Suspicious individuals and vehicles are being checked. Two-wheelers have been allocated to every station for night patrol, and staff have been instructed to conduct night rounds using vehicles fitted with sirens and red lights.
