Five survivors from a boat that was carrying passengers, including a seven-year-old girl, have been rescued after drifting at sea for three days in the waters of eastern Indonesia.
The vessel, identified as the KM Nurul Salsa, was carrying 78 passengers and crew members when it suffered an engine failure and sank on Wednesday. The incident took place roughly 79 kilometres from its departure port on Jampea Island, near the small island of Selayar in South Sulawesi province.
The rescued group told emergency teams they had initially belonged to a larger cluster of 25 individuals previously reported missing by maritime authorities. However, turbulent weather and powerful winds rapidly separated them from the rest of the group.
The head of the local search and rescue agency, Muhammad Arif Anwar, explained that the passengers had to act quickly to survive once the ship went down. He noted that the individuals constructed a makeshift raft by binding jerry cans and pieces of cork together with rope.
The small group was eventually discovered on Saturday evening by local fishermen after they managed to cling to a floating fish trap left out in the open sea. The fishermen immediately used their radio systems to alert emergency officials to the location.
Anwar stated that the survivors appeared extremely fatigued and physically weak after spending days at sea with minimal provisions. The group had managed to sustain themselves during the ordeal by consuming packets of dry biscuits and instant noodles they had kept with them.
A large-scale rescue operation remains active in the area, involving five substantial vessels, a maritime reconnaissance aircraft, and a helicopter tasked with locating the 20 individuals who are still unaccounted for. At least one fatality has been officially confirmed as a result of the disaster.
Initial manifests supplied by the ship Operators listed only 50 individuals on board the vessel. Subsequent checks by emergency services revealed the true figure was significantly higher at 78 passengers.
Discrepancies between official passenger logs and the actual number of travellers are a regular occurrence across the Indonesian archipelago, where maritime travel is standard practice. Sea accidents remain common throughout the region, frequently caused by loose safety protocols, overcrowding, and sudden inclement weather.
