Kendari SAR deploys 28 personnel to assist search for sunken vessel off Selayar

The Basarnas office in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, has deployed 28 personnel aboard the state vessel KN SAR Pacitan to assist in the search for KM Nurul Salsa, which sank in the waters off the Selayar Islands, South Sulawesi. Head of Basarnas Kendari, Amiruddin A.S., stated on Saturday that the vessel and its crew were dispatched as part of a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation under operational control to accelerate the search for victims. KN SAR Pacitan departed from the Basarnas Eastern Region Pier in Kendari at 12:10 WITA, heading to the accident site west of Polassi Island where the vessel went down on 15 July 2026. Amiruddin noted that the distance from the pier to the last known position of the missing vessel is approximately 262 nautical miles, with the journey expected to take around 18 hours at a maximum speed of 20 knots. To support the effectiveness of the operation, the team is equipped with a sea rider, a lifeboat, a rubber boat, medical and evacuation SAR equipment, communication devices, and other essential safety gear. Meanwhile, Head of the Makassar SAR Office, Muhammad Arif Anwar, reported that on the fourth day of the operation, 52 of the 78 people on board KM Nurul Salsa had been found alive, one was found deceased, and 25 remain missing. He added that Basarnas and all joint SAR elements continue to deploy their best efforts to locate the remaining victims, with the KN SAR Pacitan from Kendari now joining the search.