In a race against time, rescue teams in Indonesia are urgently searching for 27 individuals who went missing after a passenger boat sank amid turbulent seas while en route to a remote village in the country’s eastern region.

The vessel, known as Nazila 05, embarked on its journey from Taliabu Island in North Maluku province shortly after nightfall on Sunday. Its destination was Kema, a coastal village within the same province, according to Muhammad Rizal, head of the search and rescue office in Central Sulawesi’s Palu city, located near the site of the sinking.

Rizal explained that authorities were alerted to the situation on Monday morning by the boat’s owner, Rifani Samatia. The Nazila 05 captain had reported that the ship’s bow was compromised after being struck by high waves during adverse weather conditions. Approximately 30 minutes after this report, the captain relayed that the vessel had submerged.

“Everyone on board, all 27 individuals, managed to evacuate onto a longboat before the ship sank,” Rizal noted. “However, their current whereabouts remain unconfirmed.”

Equipped with navigational and communication tools, a rescue vessel was dispatched, along with a helicopter and the assistance of local fishermen, to aid in the search, Rizal mentioned.

The Nazila 05, often utilized for transporting tourists, is locally recognized both as a fishing boat and a small passenger craft, he added.

Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, where boats are a common form of transportation. With lax safety standards and problems with overcrowding, accidents occur frequently.