THIS is the terrifying moment travellers were forced to flee a sinking boat in a popular holiday hotspot.
Rough seas caused a tourist boat to begin sinking off the coast of Bali, leaving more than 100 passengers and crew stranded in the water.
In a shocking video from onboard the vessel, passengers were seen wearing bright orange life jackets while queuing to escape the rising water.
The video pans from the inside cabin of the holiday ferry, showing the seawater seeping in to ankle level.
Emergency services rushed to rescue the 117 passengers and crew from the boat which had departed from neighbouring island Gili Trawangan.
The video became increasingly alarming as passengers were seen wading through water that was leg deep before being able to disembark.
People were seen lining the aisles of the boat as it continued to power through the rough sea current.
The vessel, named ‘Putri Island’, reportedly began to experience technical difficulties near Amed on the east coast of Bali.
The video eventually cut to vision of the holidaymakers being safely rescued from the sinking boat on Monday morning.
All 117 people made it safely to Padang Bai People’s Harbour.
Authorities have confirmed there were no injuries in the ordeal and identified 108 of the boat’s occupants as foreign nationals.
Karangasem water police representative Gede Murdana said the boat had “suffered a hull fracture at the front bow section, near the steering area”.
The damage is believed to have happened when the vessel reached the waters of Amed.
Authorities say the cause of the malfunction was large waves striking the boat’s front – which allowed water to flood the cabin, causing a short circuit in the navigation system.
A sister vessel operated by the same company was close by and immediately able to assist the stricken boat.
The company has launched an investigation into the technical issue.
Officials have since urged boat operators to remain vigilant and to prioritise passenger safety during bad weather patches.
