RESCUERS continued searching today for 30 missing people after a ferry sank and four died near Indonesia’s resort island of Bali the previous night.

As of Thursday afternoon, 31 people had been rescued from the ferry’s 53 passengers and 12 crew members, the National Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement.

The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank almost half an hour after leaving Ketapang port in the East Java town of Banyuwangi late on Wednesday for a 30-mile trip to Gilimanuk port on Bali, authorities said.

A helicopter and nine boats, including two tugs and two inflatable boats, searched for survivors with hep from fishermen and people onshore.

Strong waves up to 6.5 feet high and darkness hampered emergency workers overnight, but an official said improved weather and sea conditions this morning were assisting the search effort.

Survivors were taken to nearby medical facilities, including Jembrana Regional Hospital in Bali.

“When the ferry started to tilt, I initially intended to jump into the sea, but the ship quickly sank, so I did not jump anymore but sank with the water entering the ship, maybe about 23 feet deep, so I immediately climbed up to the top,” said Supardi, a survivor at the hospital.

Indonesian authorities are investigating the cause of the sinking.