PALU, Indonesia — Search and rescue operations in Indonesia concluded successfully Tuesday morning when teams located 21 survivors floating on a makeshift raft, one day after their passenger vessel went down in turbulent ocean conditions.
Muhammad Rizal, director of the Palu city search and rescue operations center, confirmed that all individuals aboard the vessel were recovered alive. Initial reports indicated 27 people were unaccounted for, but survivors clarified that six passengers listed on the ship’s roster had canceled their travel plans before departure.
The survivors, consisting mainly of fishing industry workers, were discovered on their raft approximately 46 kilometers (29 miles) away from the location where their vessel sank in waters north of Taliabu Island.
The vessel Nazila 05 had left port on Taliabu island in North Maluku province shortly after sunset on Sunday, heading toward Kema in North Sulawesi province, according to Rizal.
Rizal explained that the Nazila 05 regularly carried tourists and served the local community as both a fishing boat and small passenger transport.
According to statements from the vessel’s owner to authorities, the ship’s captain reported that the Nazila 05 went under after powerful waves damaged the front section during severe weather conditions, with all crew members successfully evacuating to a smaller boat before the main vessel submerged, Rizal noted.
Family members informed officials that the survivors had secured themselves to a raft, prompting the National Search and Rescue Agency, known as Basarnas, to dispatch a rescue ship toward the projected drift location at first light Tuesday, where the raft was expected to be floating in rough seas.
“All survivors located by rescuers will be taken to a nearby city of Gorontalo,” Rizal said in a video statement.
The rescue mission deployed two rescue ships and received support from area fishing boats, Basarnas reported.
As an island nation containing over 17,000 islands, Indonesia relies heavily on watercraft for transportation between locations. Maritime incidents happen regularly due to insufficient safety regulations and vessel overcrowding issues.
