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1st LD: Ferry sinks in Bali strait, rescue operation under way

Xinhua, March 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Search and rescue operations are under way after a ferry capsized in Indonesia's Bali strait Friday afternoon with around 50 people on board, according to local officials.

The boat, Rafelia II, was leaving Gilimanuk port in Bali for Ketapang port in East Java's Banyuwangi district, which is the easternmost region of Java island.

More than 40 people have so far been rescued, according to rescuers, but the exact number of the passengers on board has not been determined.

Didi Hanzar, head of Bali Search and Rescue Office, said rescuers are still searching for rest of the missing people.

"Rescuers are searching for the missing persons now. We have also deployed a helicopter to help with the operation," Hanzar told Xinhua by phone from Bali Island.

"But poor weather condition has hampered the helicopter to come close to the scene," Hanzar added.

According to Abdullah Azwar Anas, head of Banyuwangi district, the ship was also loaded with 32 vehicles, which have all drowned along with the it.

At its narrowest, the Bali strait, which also connects the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea, is 2.4 kilometers wide. Endit