Rescuers find 21 people on raft drifting in Indonesian waters after
their boat sinks
[March 31, 2026]
By MOHAMMAD TAUFAN
PALU,
Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian search teams rescued 21 people from a raft
Tuesday morning, a day after their boat sank in rough seas.
Everyone on board the ship was found safely, said Muhammad Rizal, who
heads the search and rescue office in Palu city. Officials earlier
reported that 27 people were missing, but survivors reported that six
people listed on the manifest had cancelled their plans to join the
trip.
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In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue
Agency (BASARNAS), crew look on as a rescue ship approaches a raft to
evacuate the survivors boat that sank on Monday, in the waters off
Taliabu Island, Indonesia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP) |
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Rescuers found the survivors, who were mostly fishing crew, on a
raft about 46 kilometers (29 miles) from the place where the
boat sank in the northern waters of Taliabu Island.
The boat, Nazila 05, departed from a port on Taliabu island in
North Maluku province just after dusk Sunday bound for Kema in
North Sulawesi province, Rizal said.
He said the Nazila 05 was frequently used to transport tourists
and was also known locally as a fishing or small passenger
vessel.
The owner of the Nazila 05 told authorities the boat's captain
had reported the vessel sank after its bow was broken by high
waves during rough weather, and all crew managed to board a
longboat before the ship went down, Rizal said.
Relatives reported the victims had tied themselves to a raft,
and the National Search and Rescue Agency, or Basarnas, said a
rescue vessel was heading toward the estimated location just
after dawn Tuesday where the raft was believed to be drifting in
choppy waters.
"All survivors located by rescuers will be taken to a nearby
city of Gorontalo,” Rizal said in a video statement.
The search operation involved two rescue vessels and was
assisted by local fishermen, the Basarnas said.
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, and
boats are a common form of transportation. With lax safety
standards and problems with overcrowding, accidents occur
frequently.
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