SAR Temporarily Halts Search for 5 Missing KMP Putri Yasmin Victims, to Resume Tomorrow
The joint SAR team has temporarily halted the search for five missing victims of the ferry KMP Putri Yasmin. The search will resume on Friday (14/8/2026) morning.
Head of the Mataram SAR Office, Muhammad Hariyadi, said today’s search was stopped at 5.00 pm Wita. The team will resume operations at 7.00 am Wita tomorrow.
“We have done enough for today,” Hariyadi said at Lembar Port on Thursday (13/8/2026).
Hariyadi said that until the search was halted, no signs of the five missing victims had been found. The search was conducted through sweeps using SAR vessels as well as aerial monitoring using helicopters.
“There were no signs from either the vessels or aerial assistance,” he said.
In today’s search, the joint SAR team from Lombok and Bali deployed around 50 personnel. They used KN 220 SAR Mataram, KN SAR Arjuna 229 Denpasar, two Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs), and two helicopters.
The team swept the area towards the southwest from the initial location where KMP Putri Yasmin caught fire. The search also covered a number of small islands in the waters off Sekotong.
Although the search operation has been temporarily halted, the SAR team continues to monitor the situation by disseminating information to vessels passing through the Lombok Strait. The information includes an appeal for any vessel that finds the victims to immediately contact the SAR team.
“So any vessel that finds the victims can contact us,” Hariyadi explained.
Hariyadi said the first three days of the search period are a critical time in SAR operations. Tomorrow marks the third day since the KMP Putri Yasmin fire incident.
“We hope that within the golden time of three days, signs will be found. This golden time refers to the possibility that the victims can still be saved,” Hariyadi explained.
Previously, KMP Putri Yasmin caught fire while crossing the waters off Sekotong Beach, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), in the early hours of Wednesday (12/8/2026). Information about the incident was received by the Mataram SAR Office from the captain of Rescue Boat (RB) 220 Mataram, Nurdin, at 4.39 am Wita.
A 50-second video received by detikBali showed plumes of smoke causing panic among the ship’s passengers. All passengers appeared to be wearing life jackets.
A total of 212 victims were evacuated to Lembar Port, while 35 others were evacuated to Padangbai, Karangasem, Bali. One passenger was reported dead in the incident.