Rescue teams in eastern Indonesia have found five survivors from a passenger boat that sank earlier this week and are continuing efforts to locate 20 people who remain missing. The survivors, including a seven-year-old girl, were discovered on Saturday evening floating in the waters near the accident site. Authorities said at least one person has been confirmed dead following the incident.
The passenger vessel KM Nurul Salsa sank on Wednesday after suffering engine failure while travelling about 43 nautical miles (79 kilometres) from a port in the Selayar Islands of South Sulawesi Province. The boat was carrying 78 passengers and crew members when it went down, according to updated figures from the Makassar Search and Rescue Office. Initial reports had placed the number of people on board at 74 before authorities revised the figure.
Makassar Search and Rescue Office chief Muhammad Arif Anwar said the five survivors were found clinging to a fish trap belonging to a local fisherman. The group, consisting of one man and four women, was located before nightfall and rescued by a passing fishing boat near Matallang Island. They were later transferred to a search and rescue vessel and taken to Benteng town for medical examinations and further information gathering.
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Search operations are continuing as rescue teams look for the remaining missing passengers and crew members. Authorities are using available resources to scan the surrounding waters and trace possible locations where survivors may have drifted. Officials have not yet provided further details about the condition of the rescued passengers or the progress of the ongoing search operation.
Boat accidents are a recurring concern in Indonesia, where sea transport remains a major mode of travel due to the country’s geography of more than 17,000 islands. Safety issues, including overcrowding and inadequate enforcement of maritime regulations, have contributed to several past incidents involving passenger vessels. Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the KM Nurul Salsa accident after the search and rescue operation is completed.
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