Five Rescued, 20 Missing After Passenger Boat Sinks

Five survivors, including a seven-year-old girl, were rescued on Saturday after spending three days at sea following the sinking of a passenger boat in eastern Indonesia. The vessel, the KM Nurul Salsa, sank on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, with 78 people on board. At least one person is confirmed dead, and a major search operation continues for approximately 20 others who remain missing.

The survivors were located late Saturday afternoon near Matallang Island, off the coast of South Sulawesi province, clinging to a fish trap and floating debris. They were rescued by local fishermen who alerted authorities. The group, consisting of one man and four women, was evacuated to a search-and-rescue vessel and later taken to the port of Benteng on Selayar Island for medical examinations and debriefing.

According to search and rescue official Muhammad Arif Anwar, the survivors reported being part of a larger group of 25 people who had initially stayed together after the sinking. They became separated from the others by strong winds and rough seas. The survivors sustained themselves during their ordeal with packets of instant noodles and biscuits, and they fashioned makeshift flotation...