A collision between two boats in Nusa Penida waters reportedly left one person dead and injured six others on Friday.
The crash happened in between Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan islands around 10 am.
Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Lembongan are a group of three small islands in Bali’s Klungkung Regency, just southeast of the mainland.
One of the boats was small, carrying 13 passengers, while the other was a jukung (traditional fishing boat).
The small boat had departed from the newly rebuilt ‘Yellow Bridge’ and was headed towards Toyapakeh, Nusa Penida, while the jukung was coming from Kusamba (Bali’s eastern coast) and headed towards the bridge.
The captain of the small boat allegedly did not see the jukung coming from the opposite direction until it was too late because a basket was blocking his view and the boats slammed into each other, causing the small boat to sink, according to Antara Bali. With help from the surrounding community, 12 of the 13 in the small boat were evacuated, while one passenger did not survive.
“The victim who died was a woman, Ni Nengah Sarwi, 55, who worked as a merchant from the village of Kutampi Kaler, Nusa Penida,” said Nusa Penida Police Commissioner I Ketut Suastika, as quoted by Antara Bali.
The six people injured in the crash were identified in reports as Ni Ketut Sipi, 59, Ni Ketut Sanita, 18, Ni Kadek Suwastini, 21, Ni Wayan Retin, 65, Unik Erawati, 19, and Ni Wayan Wati, 54.
Boat safety is certainly an issue in Bali—boat accidents aren’t too uncommon here. A fast boat traveling from Bali to Gili exploded in September 2016, killing two foreigners and injuring about 20 others, while another fast boat went down in flames off the coast of Nusa Penida in November 2014, injuring four.
