Five people, including a seven-year-old girl, were rescued after drifting for three days at sea following a passenger boat sinking near Selayar Island, south of Sulawesi in eastern Indonesia. The incident occurred on Wednesday when the boat, carrying more than 70 passengers, went down. The survivors were part of a group of 25 previously listed as missing and became separated due to strong winds.

Local search and rescue official Muhammad Arif Anwar said the survivors tied together jerrycans and cork pieces with rope to stay afloat. They were rescued by local fishermen on Saturday afternoon, who then radioed authorities for assistance. The rescued individuals appeared weak and exhausted after days without sufficient food or water but managed to survive by eating instant noodles and biscuits.

Search operations for the remaining missing passengers are ongoing, involving five large ships, a reconnaissance plane, and a helicopter. Authorities noted that Indonesia frequently experiences maritime accidents due to poor safety standards and adverse weather conditions.