The Tunu Pratama Jaya, a passenger motorboat operating the Ketapang–Gilimanuk route, sank in the Bali Strait late on Wednesday night, 2 July 2025. The vessel was en route from Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, to Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana Regency, Bali.
According to preliminary data from the ship’s manifest, there were 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles on board.
The vessel departed Ketapang Port at 22:56 WIB. At approximately 23:20 WIB, the crew reported an engine room leak. Moments later, communication from the vessel ceased following a power outage. The ship is believed to have fully sunk at around 23:35 WIB.
The incident occurred amid sea conditions with waves reaching up to 2.5 metres, which are thought to have exacerbated the situation. The ship’s crew did manage to send a distress call before the loss of communication.
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Of the 65 people reportedly on board, only four individuals were found during initial search efforts. They included one crew member: Head of Engine Room Sandi Wariyawan and three passengers. The four survivors were discovered in a lifeboat released before the vessel capsized.
Purgana, Head of the Tanjungwangi Port Authority (KSOP), commented on the situation.
“The possibility of the ship sinking reached 99.9% after more than three hours of lost contact without news. Search operations are now continuing with nine SAR vessels around the sinking point.”
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Banyuwangi has deployed a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) and is being supported by other search units, including the Sea and Coast Guard Union (KPLP), Basarnas Denpasar, and the Jembrana SAR Post.
18 More Found, 2 Confirmed Dead
By Thursday morning, 3 July 2025, an additional 18 people were found in the Tabuhan area on the southern coast of Bali. Two of them were confirmed deceased. These passengers were separate from the four survivors located earlier, bringing the total number of evacuees to 22.
Banyuwangi Police Chief, Commissioner Rama Samtama Putra, confirmed the update: “The latest information was received at around 6:30 a.m. from the Police Post in Bali, which conducted an intensive search with the joint team.”
He continued, “The results of confirmation of coordination with the Jembrana Police, because they also formed a disbursement task force team and information about 30 minutes ago was found in the Tabuhan area of the southern coast of Bali. There were 18 people: 16 survived, two died. This is still in the identification process.”
Wahyu Setia Budi, Coordinator of the Banyuwangi SAR Post, emphasised the ongoing difficulty in locating the remaining passengers.
“But until now we have not found any passengers, and there are also weather and wave constraints in the Bali Strait, reaching around 2.5 metres, making it difficult for the SAR team,” he said.
Search efforts continue with multiple agencies operating in collaboration as authorities work against time and challenging conditions to locate the remaining missing persons.
