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View all search resultsOngoing KNKT probe suggests human error in Tunu Pratama Jaya's sinking
During a legislative hearing on Wednesday, the KNKT's acting head of maritime safety said its ongoing investigation had pointed to human error as a possible cause of the ferry's sinking in the Bali Strait on Friday.
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A marine police boat and a dinghy carrying rescue personnel sail the Bali Strait off the island province’s Jembrana regency on July 5, 2025, searching for dozens of people who went missing on July 4 when the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, a vehicle ferry, sank in rough seas en route to Bali. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)
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preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has found that the likely cause of the sinking of the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya was the crew’s failure to close the engine room door before setting out to sea, which allowed seawater to flood the compartment when it encountered rough seas in the Bali Strait.
The Tunu Pratama Jaya, a vehicle and passenger ferry, sank on July 4 in the strait near Jembrana regency, Bali, leaving at least nine dead and 27 people missing, though the actual number of missing victims could be higher due to discrepancies in the passenger manifest.
Anggiat Pandiangan, acting head of the KNKT Maritime Safety Subcommittee, said investigators questioned surviving crew and passengers and discovered that seawater first entered the ferry through an open engine room door located on the lower deck.
“The [hatch] should have remained closed at all times while the ship was sailing. The Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry has a low freeboard, so even waves as low as two to three meters can reach the deck,” Anggiat said on Tuesday during a hearing with the House of Representatives, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Freeboard refers to the distance between the waterline and the main deck of a vessel. It is a critical safety parameter that indicates how much of the hull remains above water, providing a vital buffer against waves and the risk of flooding.
Anggiat explained that the buoyancy of the low-freeboard ferry was also compromised by the cargo it was carrying, which increased its draft, or the vessel’s depth below the waterline.
When the Tunu Pratama Jaya sank, it was transporting 22 vehicles, including 14 freight trucks.
