46 Rescued, 23 Missing After Indonesian Ferry Sinks; One Dead

Forty-six passengers and crew members of the KM Nurul Salsa have been confirmed safe after their vessel sank in waters west of Polassi Island in the Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Tragically, one passenger lost their life in the incident that occurred on Wednesday, July 15.

Edy Prakoso, Deputy Operations Chief at Basarnas, stated in Jakarta on Thursday that the swift rescue operation by a joint SAR team was responsible for saving dozens of individuals. The maritime accident was reportedly caused by engine failure. "A total of 41 people were successfully evacuated by KM Harapan Kita, including the ship's crew, from a location approximately 18 nautical miles from the incident site. The rest were evacuated by local fishing boats," Prakoso said.

According to Prakoso, the KM Nurul Salsa departed from Jampea Island for Benteng Selayar Port early Wednesday morning, carrying dozens of passengers. En route, the ship suffered engine failure in the waters west of Polassi Island, about 43 nautical miles from Benteng Selayar Port. The vessel began to drift and eventually sank.

An updated manifest revealed that the total number of passengers and crew on board was 70, not the initially reported 50. This adjustment means the joint SAR team is now focusing its search efforts on the remaining 23 passengers who are still missing in the waters around Selayar. To date, 47 individuals have been accounted for: 46 survivors and one fatality.