FILE PHOTO: Members of a joint search and rescue team carry a body recovered on Dec. 29, 2025, from a sunken boat in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. The team recovered one victim, who was pronounced dead, from the KM Putri Sakinah during a rescue operation in the northern waters off Serai Island. - Antara/West Manggarai Police/Handout via The Jakarta Post/ANN
JAKARTA: Marine safety oversight at Indonesia’s tourist destinations is under renewed scrutiny following a boat accident in Labuan Bajo last week that killed a Spanish tourist and left three others missing, intensifying calls for a comprehensive improvement of maritime safety standards.
Siswanto Rusdi, director of the National Maritime Institute, said the recurring accidents involving tourist boats point to weak enforcement and poor oversight by maritime authorities.
“Many tourist boats do not meet safety standards, and many crew members are uncertified, relying on local residents without sufficient training. Yet, when accidents occur, no one takes responsibility, which is why these incidents keep happening,” he said on Monday (Dec 29) as quoted by Kompas.id.
“All passenger vessel safety standards should place human lives as the primary consideration. For too long, profit has been prioritized over safety, and this mindset must change,” Siswanto added.
Lasarus, chair of the House of Representatives Commission V, which oversees transportation and infrastructure, said lawmakers would conduct a deeper examination of the incident once the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) releases its final accident report.
“However, we must emphasise that strict supervision of vessel seaworthiness is non-negotiable, and operators must closely monitor weather forecasts before sailing,” Lasarus said on Tuesday, as quoted by Detik.com.
On Friday, a boat carrying 11 people, including a family of six from Spain, four crew members and a tour guide, capsized in rough weather in the Padar Island Strait in East Nusa Tenggara, near the popular resort town of Labuan Bajo and close to Komodo National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Authorities said the vessel suffered engine failure at around 9 p.m., about 30 minutes after departing from Kalong Island. Without a functioning engine, the boat was unable to manoeuvre as waves measuring between two and three metres struck the vessel.
The boat capsized after being hit by two large waves. Crew members managed to rescue two passengers, the mother and her youngest daughter, aged seven.
They, along with several crew members and a tour guide, escaped the vessel, climbed onto a lifeboat and were later rescued by another boat and search-and-rescue teams that arrived at the scene.
However, the father, Fernando Martín, a coach with Spanish soccer club Valencia CF Femenino B, and three of his children were missing. Authorities believe they were trapped inside the cabin of the vessel when the accident occurred.
A large-scale rescue operation was launched immediately after the incident. On Monday, rescuers recovered the body of a 12-year-old, believed to be one of the missing children, although formal identification is still underway.
The government has mobilised additional resources to support the search for the remaining victims and urged rescuers to accelerate their efforts. Rescue operations have been hindered by adverse weather and strong currents, the search and rescue agency said.
East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said his administration will conduct a comprehensive review of maritime safety in areas around Komodo National Park following the boat accident.
“After the search-and-rescue operations for the missing victims are completed, we will carry out a full evaluation of marine and tourism safety in Labuan Bajo and other parts of East Nusa Tenggara to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again,” he said on Tuesday, as quoted by Tribunnews.com.
Poor safety record
On Monday, just days after the Padar Island Strait boat accident, another vessel sank near the piers of Pelabuhan Marina Waterfront in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai regency in East Nusa Tenggara.
Authorities said the boat went down after all crew members fell asleep, leaving no one to pump out water. No casualties were reported.
The incident highlights Indonesia’s ongoing challenges with maritime safety, pointing to weak enforcement of safety standards and the urgent need for stricter oversight.
Several fatal boat accidents have occurred in Indonesia this year. In August, two Chinese nationals died and an Indonesian man went missing when a speed boat carrying 80 passengers traveling from Nusa Penida sank and ran aground near Sanur Port on Bali, a major tourist destination.
In July, the Tunu Pratama Jaya ferry, carrying 65 passengers and crew, sank in the Bali Strait, killing 19 people. Sixteen others remain missing after authorities concluded a 20-day search-and-rescue operation.
In May, eight people died and dozens were injured when a boat carrying 98 tourists and six crew members capsized near Tikus Island off Bengkulu City, Bengkulu. In March, a boat carrying 16 people capsized in rough waters off Bali, killing an Australian woman and injuring at least one other passenger. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
