Earlier sinkings of tourist boat Tiana in Komodo waters, not 2026 incident

Labuan Bajo — A tourist boat named Tiana did not sink in Komodo National Park waters on Sunday, 20 September 2026, as claimed in the draft. Verified reports instead document two earlier sinkings of the KLM/KM Tiana in Komodo National Park waters in June 2022 and January 2023, and separate vessel incidents in September 2026 that did not involve Tiana.

According to national and regional media reports, the wooden motor-sail tourist vessel KLM Tiana (also referred to as KM Tiana) first capsized and sank in Komodo National Park waters near Labuan Bajo on Tuesday, 28 June 2022. The boat was operating as a liveaboard and was carrying tourists and crew on a trip from Labuan Bajo toward islands inside the park.

Merdeka.com reported that the vessel, described as KLM Tiana Liveaboard with a gross tonnage of 61 GT, overturned after being hit by strong winds in waters within Komodo National Park. The incident occurred around 05:00 local time. The outlet, citing search and rescue officials, stated that Tiana was carrying tourists and crew when it capsized and later sank.

An official release relayed through InfoPublik, the public information service of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, confirmed that KM Tiana GT 61 sank in Komodo National Park waters near Batu Putih, Pasir Panjang, Manggarai Barat, after being struck by strong winds. The statement added that the vessel had departed Labuan Bajo for Pulau Kanawa and later overturned and sank after mooring overnight.

Casualties and rescue

Merdeka.com reported that two tourists died in the June 2022 sinking of KLM Tiana and a third person was seriously injured, while other passengers were evacuated by a joint SAR team in safe condition. InfoPublik similarly reported that two people were found dead and one person suffered serious injuries, while other passengers and crew were evacuated to Labuan Bajo by a combined team from the navy, search and rescue agency, water police and port authorities.

Regional coverage identified the two deceased tourists as a mother and her adult child who were among the passengers on Tiana’s liveaboard trip in Komodo National Park. These reports described the victims being recovered during the search and rescue operation and transported to Labuan Bajo for further handling.

Vessel, route and conditions

Media reports describe Tiana as a wooden tourist vessel, variously referred to as KLM Tiana or KM Tiana, operating liveaboard trips from Labuan Bajo into Komodo National Park. One account places the sinking near Pulau Kambing on a route from the ASDP ferry port in Labuan Bajo toward Padar Island, at coordinates approximately 08°37' S and 119°42' E.

The InfoPublik release states that Tiana had sailed from Labuan Bajo to Pulau Kanawa before it was overturned by strong winds and later sank near Batu Putih, Pasir Panjang.

In both accounts, officials attribute the June 2022 sinking to weather conditions, specifically strong winds and rough seas, rather than a collision.

Subsequent incident involving Tiana

Later reporting on maritime safety in Komodo National Park notes that KLM Tiana was involved in a second accident in January 2023. According to Detik’s coverage, Tiana sank in waters off Batu Tiga, within Komodo National Park, on Saturday, 21 January 2023, while carrying 13 tourists and four crew members.

That account states that no one was killed in the January 2023 sinking, though two tourists were injured. The same coverage reports that the vessel had previously sunk in June 2022, when two tourists died, and that the ship later became an item of evidence in a police investigation related to the earlier incident.

No verified Tiana sinking in September 2026

Available coverage from September 2026 documents other maritime incidents in Komodo National Park waters near Labuan Bajo, including a cruise vessel that ran aground near Gili Lawa and a collision between two pinisi-class tourist boats. None of these reports identify the vessel involved as Tiana, and no independent sources corroborate a new sinking of Tiana with one dead and one missing on 20 September 2026.

Based on currently available reports, the most recent documented incidents involving Tiana are the June 2022 and January 2023 sinkings in Komodo National Park waters near Labuan Bajo, with the June 2022 accident resulting in two deaths and one serious injury and the January 2023 accident causing injuries but no fatalities.

Sources

• Merdeka.com
• InfoPublik (Diskominfo public information service)
• Ngopibareng.id
• Detik.com
• Tribunnews.com