Two Tourist Pinisi Boats Collide in Padar Strait, No Injuries Reported

Labuan Bajo — Two tourist pinisi boats, KM Aimar and KM Budi Utama, were involved in a collision in the Padar Strait within Komodo National Park, with port officials reporting no injuries and only minor damage to one vessel.

Kepala Kantor Kesyahbandaran dan Otoritas Pelabuhan (KSOP) Kelas III Labuan Bajo, Stephanus Risdiyanto, confirmed that the incident occurred in the Padar Strait, a busy route in the park’s waters near Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.

According to his account, the collision took place on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, at around 08:30 WITA, as the two boats were sailing toward Long Beach on Komodo Island.

KSOP Labuan Bajo described the event as a “senggolan”, or bump, rather than a major crash, and reported that the situation did not endanger passengers or crew.

How the collision happened

Stephanus said KM Aimar was underway from Labuan Bajo toward Long Beach when it entered the narrow and fast-flowing Padar Strait.

At the same time, KM Budi Utama was being carried by strong currents toward Aimar’s track, and despite efforts by Aimar’s captain to slow down and reverse, the vessels made contact.

The collision was attributed to unusually strong currents in the strait, with officials citing “arus kencang” and “arus ekstrem” as the main contributing factors rather than mechanical failure or human error.

Passengers and damage

KM Aimar, a 139 GT Indonesian-flagged tourist vessel, was carrying 17 passengers and nine crew members at the time of the incident, according to KSOP Labuan Bajo.

All passengers and crew on both boats were reported safe, with no injuries or fatalities.

Stephanus said KM Aimar sustained light damage to its bow, including the forward stem and haluan (prow) section, but remained stable and fit for operation.

Regional media reports concur that the damage was confined to the front of KM Aimar and did not result in pollution or significant material loss.

Regulatory status

KSOP Labuan Bajo stated that both KM Aimar and KM Budi Utama held valid sailing permits (surat persetujuan berlayar, SPB) when they departed Labuan Bajo for Komodo Island.

As of the latest reports, officials had not announced any suspension of operations for either vessel, and KM Aimar was described as remaining seaworthy after the collision.

The incident follows earlier maritime accidents in the Komodo National Park area, including a 2024 sinking involving KM Budi Utama in waters off Padar Island, which likewise resulted in all passengers and crew being rescued.

Sources

• detikBali - Dua Kapal Wisata Tabrakan Saat Berlayar ke Pulau Komodo
• Liputan6 - Dua Kapal Tabrakan di Selat Padar Labuan Bajo
• Akurat.co - Heboh di Labuan Bajo! Dua Kapal Wisata Tabrakan di Selat Padar, Haluan Kapal Rusak