A passenger boat named KM Nurul Salsa sank on July 15, 2026, off eastern Indonesia near Selayar Island south of Sulawesi after an engine failure, carrying 78 passengers and crew [1, 2, 3, 4]. The ship went down about 43 nautical miles (79 km) from the port of Benteng on Selayar Island [2, 4].

Five survivors, including a 7-year-old girl, were found drifting near Matallang Island after spending three to four days at sea [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. They sustained themselves by clinging to makeshift flotation devices constructed from jerry cans and cork tied together with rope, as well as holding onto fishing equipment. Local search-and-rescue official Muhammad Arif Anwar said, "After the ship sank, each of them saved themselves using whatever equipment or makeshift flotation they could find. They rigged together jerry cans and pieces of cork tied up with rope, then climbed on top of them" [1, 3].

The survivors reported they were part of a group of 25 initially reported missing but became separated due to strong winds [1, 2, 3, 4]. They were found weak and fatigued after surviving on instant noodles and biscuits with limited food and water [1, 3, 4].

At least one person died in the accident and about 20 to 24 people remain missing [2, 5, 4]. Initial reports listed 50 people on the official manifest, but later verification found 78 on board, reflecting common discrepancies in passenger counts in Indonesia [1, 3, 4].

Search and rescue efforts involve five large ships, a reconnaissance aircraft, and a helicopter continuing to search for those still missing [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. Previous passenger boat accidents in Indonesia have caused multiple fatalities, including a July sinking off Bali that killed six and a January accident near eastern Indonesia that resulted in three Spanish tourists dying [1, 2, 3, 4].

Passenger boats remain a common form of transport across Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands, though accidents frequently occur due to lax safety standards and overcrowding [1, 2, 4].

Authorities continue to coordinate the search for missing passengers while rescuing survivors and recovering bodies from the KM Nurul Salsa disaster [1, 2, 3, 5, 4].