A ferry accident in Indonesia. [AP/Yonhap]
A ferry accident in Indonesia. [AP/Yonhap]

A passenger ferry sank in waters off Central Sulawesi island in Indonesia, killing one person and leaving 24 others missing.

The vessel, KM Nurul Salsa, went down July 15 in waters about 73 kilometers from Selayar Island in South Sulawesi province, according to AP, AFP and other international news agencies.

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency, known as Basarnas, said it rescued 49 people from the stricken vessel, but one woman was found dead. Twenty-four people remain missing.

A search authority official said the ferry suffered an engine failure while underway and, unable to make repairs on its own, the captain called for help. By the time rescuers reached the scene, however, part of the hull had already submerged.

Investigators uncovered a significant discrepancy in the number of people on board. When KM Nurul Salsa departed Jampea Island on the morning of July 15, official documents submitted to authorities listed 50 passengers. Further verification after the accident revealed that the vessel was actually carrying 74 people — passengers and crew combined — meaning 24 more than the manifest showed.

Basarnas is continuing the search for the missing with support from naval vessels and civilian fishing boats. Local authorities cited high waves and strong winds as the main obstacles to the operation.

Ferries are a primary mode of transport across Indonesia's vast archipelago, but lax safety regulations mean the actual number of passengers frequently does not match official manifests. In December last year, a tourist boat sank off East Nusa Tenggara province, killing three people and leaving one missing. In 2018, a ferry capsized on a lake in North Sumatra province, killing 167 people.


shee@heraldcorp.com