Indonesia reviews maritime safety after sinking of boat carrying missing Spanish tourists

By Noel Caballero

Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, Jan 5 (EFE).- The sinking of a tourist boat that has left two Spanish tourists dead and two missing has once again highlighted maritime safety in Indonesia, where authorities are now reviewing the sector.

The wooden vessel KM Putri Sakinah, on which the Spaniards were traveling, sank in the waters off Padar Island in Komodo National Park, one of the archipelago’s tourist gems, around 8.30pm local time on Dec. 26.

There were 11 people on board, including a Spanish family consisting of a married couple and four children, two of whom—the woman and her daughter—were rescued at the scene, along with four crew members and a local guide.

After 10 days, the search operation, which will continue through to Wednesday, has recovered the bodies of two of the missing tourists: a girl and Fernando Martín, a former footballer and coach of Valencia CF’s women’s B team.

Authorities initially attributed the sinking to engine failure, although they later told EFE that it could have been due to an anomaly of a series of three large waves “unpredictable by weather forecasts,” and contributed to by the unique geography of the area, which capsized the vessel in a matter of seconds, leaving no time to evacuate the passengers.

At the time of the incident, the boat was sailing through the strait between Padar and Rinca islands, an area known to locals for its dangers due to sudden changes in sea conditions and strong currents.Days before the incident, meteorological authorities issued a warning about adverse weather in the region with a possibility of large waves.

To try to determine if the crew committed any negligence that caused the accident, the police opened an investigation in which they have already questioned at least eight people.

The debate about the accident, highlighted by national media, reached Indonesian parliament last week where MP Saadiah Uluputty emphasized that the oversight of maritime transport safety must be strengthened, especially of private tourist boats.

«Moving forward, we encourage that the seaworthiness certification process for vessels extend beyond formal inspections to include engine durability and safety system tests under real-world conditions,» she said, according to a statement.

She also encouraged integration of the sailing permit system with the meteorological weather warning system, so that permits can be automatically revoked if weather anomalies such as swells are detected.

A line of moored boats

Last Monday, as the operation entered its fourth day, the port authorities of Labuan Bajo issued an order prohibiting all tourist boats from sailing due to the forecast of adverse weather, an order that was extended to this coming Thursday.

This has left a long line of boats moored in the town’s marina, disrupting tourists’ plans.

Many of these vessels are similar to the one that sank: two decks high, with four cabins accommodating up to 10 passengers, and used for multi-day excursions to Komodo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for the giant lizards that give the place its name.

A businessman in the tourism sector told EFE he thought the tragedy will affect the sector in the short term, emphasizing the need to focus on the quality of the vessels, although he said he did not know the prior condition of the KM Putri Sakinah.

According to police data, at least 15 tourist boat accidents were recorded in the region between 2024 and the end of 2025.

Most occurred in the park’s waters around the islands of Padar, Komodo and Rinca due to bad weather or technical problems with the vessels.

Speaking to reporters at the search site, the governor of East Nusa Tenggara province—where Komodo is located—Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, announced on Wednesday that a comprehensive assessment of maritime transport and tourism safety in Labuan Bajo and other areas of the province will be carried out.

Another tour operator, also involved in the operation, emphasized to EFE the need to install buoys with sensors in high-risk areas, such as where the Spanish couple’s accident occurred, to prevent another tragedy.

«Safety must be the primary foundation, as even one accident can have a lasting impact on public trust and the reputation of national tourism,» Saadiah concluded. EFE

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