The Labuan Bajo Harbormaster has imposed a night-sailing ban on tourist vessels in Komodo National Park waters following a deadly shipwreck and concerns over extreme weather as well as limited visibility.
Following the temporary closure of tourist activities in the Komodo National Park area of Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, due to extreme weather and to avoid disrupting the joint search and rescue (SAR) operation for victims of the sinking of KM Putri Sakinah, the Labuan Bajo Class III Harbormaster and Port Authority (Kantor Kesyahbandaran dan Otoritas Pelabuhan or KSOP) has reopened shipping routes as of Friday, the 9th of January.
However, despite the reopening, the KSOP has now imposed a ban on tourist boats sailing at night in Labuan Bajo. All tourist vessels operating within the waters of Komodo National Park are now required to anchor after dark.
“Ship captains are prohibited from operating their vessels at night, particularly in the 10 emergency-prone locations that we have identified and announced since 2023,” said Stephanus Risdiyanto, Head of the Labuan Bajo Class III KSOP, on Friday.
According to Risdiyanto, the night-sailing ban is intended to reduce the risk of maritime accidents. He explained that emergency response efforts during bad weather at night are significantly hindered by limited visibility. Furthermore, this new policy is also aimed at preventing a recurrence of the recent shipwreck in Labuan Bajo.
“When visibility is limited, emergency response efforts are severely constrained,” he added.
As previously reported, KM Putri Sakinah sank while sailing at night en route to Padar Island in Komodo National Park on the 26th of December, 2025. The incident claimed the lives of Valencia women’s football coach Martin Carreras Fernando and his three children.
As of Friday, the 9th of January, three bodies had been recovered—Fernando and two of his children—while his remaining son is still missing. The search for the missing child is scheduled to conclude today, following three extensions of the search and rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the West Manggarai Police, in coordination with the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police, have named the ship’s captain, identified by the initial L, and a crew member, identified by the initial M, as suspects in the KM Putri Sakinah shipwreck. The Head of Public Relations at East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Henry Novika Chandra, divulged that the suspects were named after investigators from the West Manggarai Police conducted a case review on Thursday, the 8th of January.
“The suspects were identified following a case review held in the Criminal Investigation Unit Room of the West Manggarai Police on Thursday,” he said.
Chandra added that the two suspects have been charged under Article 359 of Law No. 1 of 1946 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP), in conjunction with Article 330 and Article 20(c) of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the KUHP, relating to negligence resulting in the death of another person.
“Investigators have determined that there was an element of negligence in the operation of the vessel, which led to the fatal maritime accident,” he concluded.