Basarnas Ends Search for KM Nurul Salsa Victims as Operation Deemed Ineffective

The head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Air Vice Marshal Mohammad Syafii, stated that the cessation of the search for victims of the KM Nurul Salsa accident, which sank in the waters off Selayar, South Sulawesi, was a joint decision with the victims’ families, given that the operation was no longer effective.

“With our combined capabilities and potential, some victims are indeed declared missing, and we have taken the decision together because the operation has been deemed ineffective to continue,” said Mohammad Syafii in response to journalists’ questions before a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He explained that the decision was reached after dialogue with the families of the victims who remain missing. However, his agency has not ruled out the possibility of resuming search operations should they receive indications or clues regarding the discovery of the missing victims.

“However, if there are signs, we will certainly reopen the operation to carry out a follow-up search,” Syafii said.

Basarnas had previously announced the closure of the search operation for the 14 missing victims of the KM Nurul Salsa accident on Friday, 24 July. The vessel was reported to have sunk in the waters of the Selayar Islands Regency on 15 July 2026. The SAR search operation for the victims lasted for seven days and was extended by three days, totalling 10 days. Nevertheless, the decision was to be confirmed following an evaluation on 24 July 2026. By the time the operation was closed, 58 people had been successfully evacuated alive, four fatalities had been recovered, and 14 people remained missing.