Five Survivors Found After Four Days at Sea in Indonesia Boat Sinking

Five survivors of the passenger boat KM Nurul Salsa were found alive on Saturday, four days after the vessel sank off South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The survivors, including a 7-year-old girl, were discovered clinging to a fish aggregating device near Matallang Island and were evacuated to a search and rescue boat. The KM Nurul Salsa departed from Jampea Island on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, bound for Benteng port, carrying 78 passengers and crew, along with cargo including copra, cattle, and motorcycles. The boat experienced engine failure approximately 43 nautical miles (79 kilometers) from its destination and sank. As of Saturday, rescue operations confirmed at least one death and located 54 survivors, with 20 people still missing. Two additional survivors were found on Sunday, July 19, bringing the total survivors to 56. The search has been hampered by challenging weather conditions, with waves reaching 2 to 2.5 meters and strong winds. Indonesian authorities deployed personnel from the National Search and Rescue Agency, Armed Forces, National Police, fishermen, and local residents. Maritime accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelagic country where ferries and small boats are widely used for inter-island transportation.