Two Survivors of KM Nurul Salsa Found, Three Companions Perished at Sea

Two passengers from the sunken vessel KM Nurul Salsa have been found alive in the waters off Pangkep Regency, while three others are believed to have died after drifting at sea for five days. The survivors, identified as Asmal (24) and Nurmiati (46), were discovered on a piece of Styrofoam wearing life jackets by the fishing boat KM Bari-Baria 05 near Sanipa Island in the Sabalana Islands around 1:00 p.m. local time. According to initial statements given to the police, the pair were part of a group of five people who clung to the flotsam. During their days adrift, the three other individuals died, and the survivors were forced to release their bodies into the sea after they began to decompose. The identities of the three deceased victims have not yet been confirmed, and police plan to take detailed statements from the survivors once their condition improves. The Selayar Islands Police Chief stated that the survivors’ accounts will provide crucial clues for the ongoing SAR operation, especially given the distance between the rescue location and the initial accident site. Authorities have coordinated with the Pangkep Police and other maritime jurisdictions to strengthen the search and follow up on any information regarding the missing victims.