44 Crew and Tourists Rescued from Sunken Vessel in Bima Waters Repatriated

A total of 44 crew members and tourists who were victims of a boat sinking in the waters off Sanggar, Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, have been repatriated. They spent one night in Bima City after being evacuated by a joint rescue team.

"All victims of the sunken vessel have returned to their respective destinations," stated Bima Police Water and Air Unit Chief, First Inspector Dedi Rizaldi, on Wednesday (22/7/2026).

Dedi revealed that the dozens of victims comprised eight crew members, seven domestic tourists, and 29 foreign tourists. They continued their journeys to various areas such as Lombok, Labuan Bajo, and some flew on to Yogyakarta.

According to Dedi, immigration officers in Bima also inspected the travel documents of the foreign nationals involved in the incident. "The travel documents of the foreign nationals were complete and there were no issues, which is why they were able to depart," he added.

Dedi explained that the sinking occurred around 15:00 Central Indonesian Time on Wednesday (15/7). The tourist boat, named Armada Mulya, had originally set sail from Lembar Port in Lombok, heading for Labuan Bajo.

"Mid-voyage, precisely in the waters off Sanggar, the boat sank on Thursday (16/7/2026) evening around 20:30 WITA," he said.

According to the captain’s account, the incident was caused by adverse weather conditions, with high waves leading to engine trouble and ultimately causing the vessel to take on water.

"Upon receiving the report, we immediately evacuated the passengers and crew and brought them to Bima Port," he concluded.