Banyuwangi. Search and rescue teams have extended and expanded operations to locate victims of the Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry that sank in the Bali Strait 11 days ago, shifting focus to the southern waters of Banyuwangi, where currents may have carried the missing.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank in the Bali Strait on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Following the incident, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) released the vessel’s passenger and vehicle manifest, which recorded 65 people on board, comprising 53 passengers and 12 crew members, along with 22 vehicles.

However, the exact number of passengers remains unclear, as several individuals were discovered not to have been listed on the manifest. Among them was Fauzey, a Malaysian national, who was later found dead.

The extended operation will run from Saturday through Monday as authorities continue efforts to locate 18 people still unaccounted for. So far, 47 victims have been recovered, including 30 survivors and 17 fatalities.

“Search operations will continue as long as victims are still being found,” said Ribut Eko Suyanto, Deputy for Search and Rescue Operations at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), during a press conference at Ketapang Port in Bali on Saturday.

The decision to extend the search for at least three more days was made following the recovery of four additional bodies in recent days, prompting teams to concentrate resources along southern Banyuwangi and the adjacent Bali Strait.

Meanwhile, East Java Police’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team has identified 15 of the recovered victims, while efforts are ongoing to identify two others.

“We are still working to locate and rescue the missing victims, and we hope this extended search will yield better results,” Ribut added.

Search teams, using divers, drones, and patrol vessels, continue to scan wider areas as hopes remain for recovering those still missing.

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