KM Nurul Salsa Sinks off Selayar: 49 Saved, 1 Dead, 24 Missing

The Motor Vessel (KM) Nurul Salsa sank in the waters west of Polassi Island, Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi, after experiencing engine failure while sailing from Jampea Island to Benteng Selayar Port. It was carrying not 50 passengers, but 74 people including crew.

Muhammad Arif Anwar, Head of the Makassar Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), stated on Thursday that the initial report indicated 50 people were on board, but this was later confirmed to be 74 passengers. He explained that the vessel departed from Jampea Island on Wednesday at approximately 05:00 WITA. During the journey, the boat suffered engine trouble and ultimately sank in waters around 43 nautical miles from Benteng Selayar Port.

During the operation, the KM Harapan Kita, which had set out from Jampea Island, managed to locate and evacuate a number of passengers from the KM Nurul Salsa on Thursday at around 04:00 WITA. A total of 49 people were evacuated, while six others were rescued by fishing boats in the vicinity and taken to Polassi Island.

Arif stated that based on provisional data, the number of survivors from the sinking stands at 49, with one person reported dead. The joint SAR team is currently still searching for 24 individuals who have not yet been found, out of a total of 74 passengers and crew. He added that all joint SAR elements are continuing to make maximum efforts in accordance with search and rescue procedures, though the casualty data remains unverified as the team awaits information from family members.