KM Sabuk Nusantara 97 Incident, PELNI Prepares Compensation for Bagan Boat Fishermen

PT PELNI (Persero) expresses its apologies for the incident involving KM Sabuk Nusantara 97, which collided with a fisherman’s bagan boat in the waters of the Toli-Toli Strait on Thursday (June 12).

Press Release
PT PELNI (Persero)
No: 06.15/51/PR/VI/2025

KM Sabuk Nusantara 97 Incident, PELNI Prepares Compensation for Bagan Boat Fishermen

Jakarta, June 15, 2025 – PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia or PT PELNI (Persero) expresses its apologies for the incident involving KM Sabuk Nusantara 97, which collided with a fisherman’s bagan boat in the waters of the Toli-Toli Strait on Thursday (June 12). There were no fatalities in the incident, which has been resolved through a meeting between the Company and the bagan boat owner at the Class IV Toli-Toli Port Authority Office on Friday (June 13).

PELNI’s Corporate Secretary Evan Eryanto extended his gratitude to Class IV Toli-Toli Port Authority Head I Made Rai Paniel and all parties who helped mediate between PELNI and the bagan boat owner, resulting in a peaceful and amicable agreement. The affected party agreed to the compensation offered by PELNI.

“We also extend our sincere apologies to the owner of the affected bagan boat. We hope similar incidents will not occur in the future. We confirm that there were no casualties in the incident and the vessel sustained no damage. In line with the agreement, we have provided material compensation to the owner of the bagan boat that was damaged,” said Evan.

The incident involving KM Sabuk Nusantara 97 occurred on Thursday (June 12) at 3:40 PM local time in the Toli-Toli Strait. At the time, there were 78 passengers on board. According to the vessel’s Captain, Cornelis Lumansik, the incident was caused by strong sea currents during the voyage.

Despite the incident, the ship was able to dock safely at Toli-Toli Port and continued its voyage on schedule after the meeting with the bagan boat owner resulted in a peaceful resolution.

“We urge all crew members to always pay close attention to sailing notices and monitor weather conditions along their routes. We hope similar incidents will not happen again, as maritime safety remains our top priority,” added Evan.

About PELNI
PELNI, as a State-Owned Enterprise operating in the maritime transportation sector, currently operates 25 passenger ships serving 511 segments with 1,359 routes and calling at 74 ports.

In addition to passenger transport, PELNI operates 30 pioneer ship routes that provide accessibility for residents in underdeveloped, remote, outermost, and border (3TP) regions. These routes call at 230 ports with a total of 522 segments. PELNI also operates 18 rede ships. For its logistics services, PELNI currently runs 8 sea toll routes and one special livestock route.

For information and inquiries, please contact:
Ditto Pappilanda
Corporate Communications Manager
PT PELNI (Persero)
Phone: +62 21 - 6334342 ext. 1310