KLM Nurul Salsa Sinks in Selayar Waters: 1 Dead, 24 Missing
Another maritime disaster has occurred in the waters of South Sulawesi. The motorised sailing vessel (KLM) Nurul Salsa, carrying dozens of passengers along with tonnes of cargo and four head of cattle, was reported to have sunk in the waters west of Polassi Island, Selayar Islands Regency, at midday on Wednesday (15 July).
As of Thursday (16 July), the search operation was still under way, with one person confirmed dead and 24 others declared missing.
The latest data gathered by the joint SAR team recorded that the total number of people on board reached 74, far exceeding the initial figure reported.
Of that number, 41 people were evacuated by the KM Harapan Kita in the early hours of Thursday at around 04.00 Central Indonesia Time (Wita), while six others were rescued by fishing vessels near the location and evacuated to Polassi Island.
Based on the manifest obtained from the ticket agent at Jampea Port, KLM Nurul Salsa was not only carrying passengers. The wooden vessel carried a total cargo of around 17 tonnes of agricultural produce, comprising 10 tonnes of rice, 2 tonnes of copra and 5 tonnes of charcoal. In addition, there were four head of cattle and six motorcycles on board.
The vessel departed from Jampea Island bound for Benteng Selayar Port on Wednesday (15 July) at around 05.00 Wita. However, midway through the journey, in the waters between Nambolaki and Bahuluang, known as the meeting point of the western and eastern currents, the ship’s engine suffered a failure and shut down completely.
Water began to enter the engine room, although the crew attempted to deal with it using an alcon pump.
The rescue operation was hampered from the outset by bad weather. Eastern monsoon winds caused high waves in Selayar waters, preventing small vessels from approaching the location.
Personnel from the Marine Police Unit (Sat Polairud) together with Basarnas stood by for hours at Appatanah Port, waiting for a vessel larger than the one from Pasimasunggu, which was considered safe enough to navigate through the waves.
Communication with the passengers also grew increasingly difficult. Initially, several passengers could still be reached via mobile phone, but by Wednesday evening all numbers that had previously been active could no longer be contacted.
Firman, a member of RAPI (Radio Antar Penduduk Indonesia) Selayar, said he had managed to contact four passengers he knew, but all connections have since been cut off.
The search for KLM Nurul Salsa and its passengers, believed to have sunk in the waters west of Polassi Island, Selayar Islands Regency, on Wednesday (15 July) at midday, continued today.