Five Passengers from Sunken KM Nurul Salsa Found Alive Clinging to Fish Aggregating Device

The Makassar Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has confirmed that five passengers from the sunken motor vessel KM Nurul Salsa were found alive in the waters near Mattalang Island, Selayar Regency, South Sulawesi. The five survivors were discovered by the fishing vessel KMN Sinar Mattoangin 04. “We received news that five victims were found alive by KMN Sinar Matoanging 04. The KN SAR Kamajaya has moved to the location to intercept and evacuate the victims so they can receive immediate medical attention and further data collection,” said Head of the Makassar Basarnas Office, Muhammad Arif Anwar, in a statement on Saturday. The five passengers were among the 25 people reported missing when the ill-fated vessel sank. They consist of four women, Sitti Amang (55), Asseng (23), Diska (7), and Sri Ardita (17), and one man, Andi Samad (62). Arif explained that the victims were found floating at sea and survived by holding onto a fisherman’s fish aggregating device (rompong). The report of the survivors’ discovery was conveyed by Iwan Darmawan Aras, Chairman of the Indonesian Fishermen’s Association (HNSI) and a member of the House of Representatives. He noted that the victims’ ability to survive by clinging to the rompong was a crucial factor in their being found by a passing vessel. “This discovery is a morale booster for all joint SAR personnel who are continuing the search for other victims. We hope more victims can be found alive,” he added. The Makassar Basarnas assured that the evacuation process is being carried out according to procedure. The victims will undergo medical examinations before being reunited with their families. The search operation for KM Nurul Salsa is ongoing, deploying all joint SAR assets to sweep the sea and monitor areas predicted to be drift paths based on current and weather analysis. On the fourth day of the operation, out of a total of 78 people aboard KM Nurul Salsa, 52 have been found alive, one was found deceased, and 25 remain missing. With the discovery of these five survivors, 20 passengers are still being searched for. The Head of Operations and Alertness at Makassar Basarnas, Andi Sultan, added that on the fourth day of the SAR operation, Basarnas received additional fleet and personnel support from the Kendari and Maumere Basarnas offices. These reinforcements include the KN SAR Pacitan from Kendari with 28 personnel on board and the KN SAR Puntadewa from Maumere with 15 personnel. Indonesian Navy vessels have also been deployed to optimise the search. The fourth-day SAR operation involves a joint team comprising Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy, the Indonesian Air Force, the Regional Disaster Management Agency, Water Police, the Harbour Master, the Selayar SAR Post, fishing vessels, and various other related agencies. The KM Nurul Salsa reportedly departed from Jampea Island to Benteng Port in Selayar on Wednesday (15/7) at around 5:00 a.m. Central Indonesian Time carrying 78 passengers. The vessel sank after experiencing engine trouble en route, in the waters west of Polassi Island, approximately 43 nautical miles from Benteng Port.