Passenger Ferry Sinks with Over 70 People Aboard; 1 Dead, 24 Missing

A passenger ferry carrying over 70 people has sunk off the coast of Indonesia, leaving 1 person dead and 24 missing.
According to reports from AP and AFP on July 17 (local time), the ferry KM Nurul Salsa sank on July 15 in waters 73 km away from Selayar Island in South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency stated that while 49 passengers and crew were rescued, 1 woman was confirmed dead and 24 others remain missing.
An official from the National Search and Rescue Agency explained, "The captain requested rescue after the ferry's engine failed and could not be repaired on board."
However, by the time rescue teams arrived at the scene, part of the ferry had already submerged.
Although the passenger manifest recorded 50 people on board when the KM Nurul Salsa departed from Jampea Island on the morning of July 15, it was later revealed that 74 people, including passengers and crew, were actually on the vessel.
The National Search and Rescue Agency is currently conducting a search for the missing with the support of navy ships and fishing boats.
In Indonesia, a nation comprised of 17,000 islands, ships are a primary means of transportation alongside aircraft.
However, due to lax safety regulations, the actual number of passengers often differs from the manifest, and maritime accidents caused by poor weather and other factors occur frequently.
In December of last year, a tourist boat sank off the coast of East Nusa Tenggara, resulting in the deaths of 3 Spanish tourists and the disappearance of a 10-year-old boy. In 2018, a ferry carrying over 200 people sank in a volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra, leaving 167 people dead.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.