East Nusa Tenggara. Authorities are continuing search and rescue operations for four Spanish tourists who went missing after a tourist boat sank in waters near Padar Island, part of the Komodo National Park area in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.
The victims — all members of the same family — have been identified as Martin Carreras Fernando, Martin Garcia Mateo, Martines Ortuno Maria Lia, and Martinez Ortuno Enriquejavier. They were among 11 people on board the tourist vessel KM Putri Sakinah, which sank on Friday night.
The Directorate General of Sea Transportation under the Transportation Ministry said joint SAR teams are actively searching for the four Spanish nationals, who were visiting Labuan Bajo as part of a family trip.
“The four victims are foreign tourists, Spanish citizens, who based on initial data were traveling as one family group,” Stephanus Risdiyanto, head of the Class III Port Authority and Harbor Master Office (KSOP) in Labuan Bajo, said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
The traditional passenger boat departed from Komodo Island at around 8 p.m. local time on Friday, heading to Padar Island to continue a sightseeing trip. About 30 minutes later, the boat reportedly suffered engine failure. It later capsized and sank in the Padar Strait at around 8:30–9 p.m. local time.
Authorities said preliminary reports suggest the accident was triggered by unusually high sea waves exceeding two meters, which caused the vessel to overturn.
The boat was carrying 11 people, including crew members, a tour guide and passengers. Seven people were rescued and evacuated safely to Labuan Bajo. Those survivors include two Spanish nationals, four crew members and one Indonesian tour guide.
“All seven survivors have been successfully evacuated to Labuan Bajo and are in safe condition,” Stephanus said.
The Transportation Ministry expressed deep concern over the incident, adding that the KSOP Labuan Bajo immediately coordinated emergency response efforts upon receiving the report from the vessel’s agent. Joint operations were launched involving the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the Indonesian Navy, marine police units, and other relevant authorities.
Local Basarnas head Fathur Rahman said Saturday marked the second day of search efforts for the four missing tourists. SAR teams have deployed multiple rigid inflatable boats from the Manggarai Barat SAR post, the Labuan Bajo port authority, and the Indonesian Navy’s local base, along with diving equipment.
“Search operations are still ongoing, with priority given to the safety of SAR personnel and careful consideration of weather and sea conditions,” Stephanus said.
Labuan Bajo is a major tourism hub and the main gateway to Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The incident has renewed attention on maritime safety and weather-related risks in one of Indonesia’s most popular marine tourism destinations.
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