At least six dead as ferry sinks off Bali coast

Jakarta, Jun 30 (EFE).- At least six people have died after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of the Indonesian island of Bali with 56 people on board, the country’s search and rescue agency Basarnas reported.

In a statement, Basarnas said that the KMP Yunice, carrying 41 passengers and 12 crew members, sank on Tuesday night as it headed to the port of Gilimanuk in Bali from the island of Java.

At least 44 people have been rescued so far. Among the dead are four women and two men.

Ferry and maritime accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor infrastructure, overloading, lax compliance with safety regulations and inclement weather.

Boats are one of the main means of transport in the Indonesian archipelago, made up of more than 17,000 islands and with a population of more than 270 million people. EFE

sh-grc/tw