Rescue teams in Indonesia are in a desperate race against time to locate 27 individuals believed to be adrift on a raft, a day after their boat sank in treacherous seas.
The passenger vessel, named Nazila 05, set sail from Taliabu port in North Maluku province on Sunday evening, destined for Kema in North Sulawesi province. It sank in the waters north of Taliabu Island, according to Muhammad Rizal, who leads the search and rescue office in Palu city.
The boat’s owner informed authorities that the captain reported the vessel’s bow was broken by high waves during rough weather, leading to its sinking.
"All 27 people aboard managed to evacuate using a longboat before the ship went down," Rizal stated, adding, "however, their current location remains unknown."
Relatives have indicated that the passengers tied themselves to a raft. The National Search and Rescue Agency has dispatched a rescue vessel towards the estimated location where the raft is thought to be drifting in choppy waters.
The search operation is also utilising an inflatable boat and receiving assistance from local fishermen.
The Nazila 05 was commonly used for transporting tourists and was also known as a fishing or small passenger vessel.
Boat accidents are frequent in Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, where maritime transport is common but often plagued by lax safety standards and overcrowding.
A boat carrying 11 people sank in Indonesia in late December near Padar Island, a popular destination within Komodo National Park, after suffering an engine failure during a trip.
It was later confirmed that Spanish football coach Fernando Martin and three members of his family had died.
Martin, who had been a coach with La Liga side Valencia, was pronounced dead along with two of his sons and one daughter, while his wife and one daughter were among the survivors.
