Ship on South Halmahera–Ternate Route Sinks in Waters off Makian Island, North Maluku
Ternate (ANTARA) — The motor vessel (KM) Intim Teratai, which departed from Babang Port bound for Bastiong Port in Ternate, was reported to have sunk in the waters off Makian Island, South Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Head of the Ternate Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, Iwan Ramdani, explained that his team moved swiftly after receiving a report from the ship's passengers.
"After receiving the report, the Ternate SAR Rescue Team along with the relevant agencies immediately prepared personnel and equipment, then headed to the incident location using the KN SAR Pandudewanata vessel to carry out the evacuation of victims," said Iwan.
Based on gathered information, the incident occurred at estimated coordinates 0°20'58.00"N / 127°21'24.00"E, approximately 24.66 nautical miles at a bearing of 174.48° from Ternate City.
KM Intim Teratai departed from Babang Port on Monday, 16 February 2026 at approximately 21:00 Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT), heading for Bastiong Port in Ternate.
However, on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 at approximately 04:45 WIT, the vessel was reported to have run aground and listed in the waters off Makian Island within the jurisdiction of South Halmahera Regency.
In the emergency situation, passengers immediately reported the incident to the Ternate SAR Office and requested evacuation assistance.
At the time of reporting, the field team was still continuing efforts to evacuate passengers aboard KM Intim Teratai. The condition of the sunken vessel and its position in open waters posed particular challenges for the rescue team.
Regarding the number of victims, data collection by the field team was still under way. Preliminary records indicated that the SAR agency would continue to update information as the evacuation progressed.
The search and evacuation operation involved a number of agencies, including the Ternate SAR Office, the Water Police (Polairud) of the North Maluku Regional Police, the Ternate Naval Base (Lanal), the Ternate Coast Guard (KPLP), as well as victims' families who were monitoring developments at the scene.
The public has been urged to remain calm and not be swayed by unverified information, and to give the SAR team the space to work to their fullest capacity in the rescue operation.
As of the latest update, the primary focus of the joint team was ensuring all passengers could be evacuated safely and anticipating potential further risks around the incident site.
Head of the Ternate Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, Iwan Ramdani, explained that his team moved swiftly after receiving a report from the ship's passengers.
"After receiving the report, the Ternate SAR Rescue Team along with the relevant agencies immediately prepared personnel and equipment, then headed to the incident location using the KN SAR Pandudewanata vessel to carry out the evacuation of victims," said Iwan.
Based on gathered information, the incident occurred at estimated coordinates 0°20'58.00"N / 127°21'24.00"E, approximately 24.66 nautical miles at a bearing of 174.48° from Ternate City.
KM Intim Teratai departed from Babang Port on Monday, 16 February 2026 at approximately 21:00 Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT), heading for Bastiong Port in Ternate.
However, on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 at approximately 04:45 WIT, the vessel was reported to have run aground and listed in the waters off Makian Island within the jurisdiction of South Halmahera Regency.
In the emergency situation, passengers immediately reported the incident to the Ternate SAR Office and requested evacuation assistance.
At the time of reporting, the field team was still continuing efforts to evacuate passengers aboard KM Intim Teratai. The condition of the sunken vessel and its position in open waters posed particular challenges for the rescue team.
Regarding the number of victims, data collection by the field team was still under way. Preliminary records indicated that the SAR agency would continue to update information as the evacuation progressed.
The search and evacuation operation involved a number of agencies, including the Ternate SAR Office, the Water Police (Polairud) of the North Maluku Regional Police, the Ternate Naval Base (Lanal), the Ternate Coast Guard (KPLP), as well as victims' families who were monitoring developments at the scene.
The public has been urged to remain calm and not be swayed by unverified information, and to give the SAR team the space to work to their fullest capacity in the rescue operation.
As of the latest update, the primary focus of the joint team was ensuring all passengers could be evacuated safely and anticipating potential further risks around the incident site.