Seven-year-old girl found alive after three days at sea

Five people who survived three days in the open sea after a boat accident off the coast of Indonesia have been rescued. Among them is a seven-year-old girl. Search operations for at least 20 missing persons are currently ongoing. This was reported by Al Jazeera .

It is reported that the survivors — one man, three women, and a seven-year-old girl — were discovered by a fishing boat near Matallang Island, close to Sulawesi Island, on the evening of July 18. They were then transferred to a rescue service vessel.

According to reports, KM Nurul Salsa the boat sank on July 15 after its engine failed. There were a total of 78 passengers and crew members on board at the time of the incident.

According to the survivors, they used fishing nets, plastic canisters, and various floating debris to stay afloat. Some managed to tie them together with ropes to create makeshift rafts.

Local rescue service representative Muhammad Arif Anwar stated that after the ship sank, everyone tried to save their lives using whatever objects they could get their hands on.

The survivors stated that they were initially a group of 25 people but were separated due to strong winds and sea currents.

According to local media, 47 people were rescued on the very first day after the boat accident. It has also been confirmed that one person died.

Currently, five rescue ships, a reconnaissance plane, and a helicopter are involved in the search for the missing.