The police have questioned 21 witnesses in the alleged negligence case of the sinking of the KM Nurul Salsa which occurred on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in Selayar waters, Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi.
"We are questioning 21 witnesses, including the captain, crew, shipping agents, and the harbormaster. This is still under investigation, so no suspects have been identified," said Head of Public Relations for the South Sulawesi Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Didik Supranoto, at Bayangkara Hospital in Makassar on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the estimated articles that will be applied if someone is named a suspect are Article 474 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code , Article 551 letter A of the KUHP, and Article 20 of the KUHP.
"We will apply this according to their portion of the blame for the sinking of the Nur Salsa. We will report on developments later. This is still under investigation, so no arrests have been made," he said.
Based on the manifest data, it was known that there were 45 passengers, but later, the victim data based on identification results and reports stated that there were 76 people.
Regarding the ship's seaworthiness, he said that the authority granting the permit, in this case the harbormaster, not the police, is responsible for determining its seaworthiness. Further information will be provided after the harbormaster and other authorities determine whether it is seaworthy.
Article 474 of the Criminal Code, which deals with negligence resulting in death, carries a maximum sentence of five years. Article 551 letter A, which deals with the falsification of letters or documents, in this context, regarding the sinking of the KM Nurul Salsa, carries a maximum sentence of eight years.
"Then, Article 20 of the Criminal Code, which deals with participation in a crime, can be analyzed as a perpetrator of a crime. The punishment will then be adjusted accordingly," said Didik.
