Basarnas: KM Nurul Salsa survivors total 59 people
Two more passengers from the ill-fated KM Nurul Salsa have been found alive by a fishing boat crew after being stranded on Balaloho Island in Pangkajene Islands Regency, South Sulawesi, bringing the total number of survivors to 59.
“Alhamdulillah, on the fifth day of the search operation, two more victims were found alive on Balaloho Island. The victims were found by KM Bari Baria 05 and are currently being evacuated by KRI Marlin 877 to Benteng Port, Selayar,” said Andi Sultan, Head of Operations and Alert at the Makassar Basarnas Office, on Sunday.
The joint SAR team reported that the two survivors are a woman named Nurmiati (46) and a man named Jasmal (24). They have been evacuated by KRI Marlin 877 to Benteng Port in the Selayar Islands Regency for medical treatment.
The discovery of the two victims is the result of intensive search efforts by all elements of the joint SAR team. The search operation on the fifth day covered an area of 1,305 square nautical miles, divided into four search sectors, supported by KN SAR Puntadewa 250, KN SAR Pacitan 102, KRI Marlin 877, KRI Hiu 634, as well as personnel from the TNI, Polri, BPBD, harbour master, and local fishing boats.
With this latest discovery, the total number of survivors from the KM Nurul Salsa stands at 59, with one confirmed fatality and 18 people still missing from the total of 78 passengers.
Selayar Islands Police Chief AKBP Didid Imawan stated that the two victims were found by the fishing vessel KM Bari-Baria 05 from Pangkep Regency in the waters off Sanipa Island, Sabalana Islands. The victims, residents of Tangnga Hamlet, Tanamalala Village, Pasimasunggu District, Selayar Islands Regency, were found on a buoy wearing life jackets and were subsequently evacuated to Matala’ang Island, Sabalana Village, Liukang Tangaya District, Pangkep Regency.
According to initial accounts from the two survivors, five people initially clung to the buoy after the shipwreck. However, after drifting at sea for several days, three of them are believed to have died. “The two victims admitted they were forced to release the bodies of their three companions into the sea after two nights together because the bodies had decomposed. The identities of the three victims cannot yet be confirmed and will be investigated further once the survivors’ condition allows for questioning,” the police chief said.
Commander of KRI Marlin-877, Lieutenant Colonel (Navy) Rahmad Kurniawan Sembiring, stated that after being found by the fishing boat, the victims were evacuated to KRI Marlin-877 to receive first aid and basic medical care from the ship’s medical team. The search operation continued at 16:00 WITA with KRI Marlin-877 conducting intensive efforts to locate the three missing companions. “We are taking the victims to Jampea Island, Selayar Islands Regency, for further medical treatment there,” he added.
The KM Nurul Salsa was known to have departed from Jampea Island heading to Benteng Port, Selayar, on Wednesday (15/7) at around 05:00 WITA carrying 78 passengers. The vessel sank after experiencing engine trouble en route, west of Polassi Island, approximately 43 nautical miles from Benteng Port, Selayar.