Spanish family missing after tourist boat sinks off Indonesia’s Labuan Bajo

WorldTravel
27 Dec 2025 • 3:21 PM MYT
Malay Mail
Malay Mail

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JAKARTA, Dec 27 — A Spanish family of four is missing after a tourist boat sank in Indonesia, state news agency Antara reported Saturday.

The vessel was carrying 11 people when it sank in the Padar Island Strait near the popular destination of Labuan Bajo on Friday night, Antara said.

Seven people including two Spanish tourists, four crew members and a tour guide were rescued.

A search for the remaining four was continuing on Saturday.

The Labuan Bajo port authority attributed the sinking to high waves of up to three metres (10 feet), Antara said.

“This made it difficult for us to carry out the initial search,” port authority chief Stephanus Risdiyanto told the agency.

Padar Island was closed to tourists on Saturday due to extreme weather conditions.

image is not available Search and rescue teams evacuate tourists after a boat sank near Padar Island, Labuan Bajo, December 27, 2025. — AFP pic/BASARNAS Labuan Bajo

Marine accidents occur regularly in Indonesia, a South-east Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, often due to lax safety standards and bad weather. — AFP