21 survivors of the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, which sank in the waters off Gilimanuk, Bali, have been reunited with their families at Ketapang Harbor in Banyuwangi. The survivors were handed over by a joint search and rescue team after passing health checks and paperwork reviews, allowing families to meet their loved ones.
One survivor, Rico from Bangsring Banyuwangi, expressed his gratitude for his safety and wellbeing. He shared that he was asleep when the incident occurred. “I was sleeping at the time, and when I woke up, the water was already coming in. I quickly found a life jacket and jumped into the sea,” Rico recounted. “I swam for as long as I could, along with many others, trying to stay together.”
Meanwhile, Samsul Hidayat, a passenger in a travel vehicle who managed to escape, revealed his plans to go to Bali for work. “I was headed to Sanur for a job,” he said. He expressed relief at having secured a life jacket, which helped him swim to safety. “I spent about 30 minutes swimming with the life jacket, just focusing on reaching the shore,” he concluded.
Earlier reports stated that the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank while traveling from Ketapang Harbor in Banyuwangi to Gilimanuk on the night of July 2, 2025. The ship was carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 14 cargo trucks. It departed at 10:56 PM and began to experience a leak in the engine room around 11:20 PM. The crew had requested assistance via communication channels before the vessel lost power and sank at 11:35 PM. It’s believed that the 2.5-meter waves may have worsened the situation.
Out of the 65 individuals on board, 31 were rescued, and 5 tragically lost their lives. The search for more victims continues.
