A ferry carrying 53 passengers, 12 crew members, and 22 vehicles sank off the coast of Bali, Indonesia, on Wednesday night, leaving 32 people missing. The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency has confirmed that four bodies have been recovered, while 29 people have been rescued.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after departing from Ketapang port in East Java’s Banyuwangi, bound for Gilimanuk port in Bali. The ferry was on a 50-kilometer journey when it went down, with 14 trucks among the vehicles on board.

Rescuers faced challenging conditions overnight, battling strong waves up to 2 meters high and darkness. However, improving weather and sea conditions in the morning have made it easier for them to continue the search for missing victims.

“We are focusing on searching on the water, as the initial victims were found in the water between the location of the accident toward Gilimanuk port,” said Nanang Sigit, head of Surabaya Search and Rescue agency.

Many of those rescued were unconscious after drifting in choppy waters for hours, according to Banyuwangi police chief Rama Samtama Putra. “The ferry could not be contacted via radio from the beginning. Then it could be contacted by other ships from the same company. But the ship was already in a tilting condition,” Sigit added.

Nine boats, including two tugboats and two inflatable boats, as well as local fishermen and people onshore, are participating in the search operation. Family members of the passengers have gathered at the departure port, anxiously seeking reassurance about their loved ones.

Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, where safety regulations often lapse. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.