Yukai tourist vessel grounds near Seture Island on Komodo route

Labuan Bajo — The traditional passenger vessel Yukai ran aground near Seture Island in Manggarai Barat waters on Sunday, September 27, 2026, while travelling from Labuan Bajo towards Komodo Island. All 12 passengers and six crew members were evacuated safely.

Pos Kupang reported that the vessel carried five Indonesian citizens and seven foreign nationals. The passengers and crew were taken to Labuan Bajo’s Marina Waterfront using the KPL Alfathran and a harbourmaster’s searider vessel.

The vessel, registered in Indonesia and measuring 55 gross tonnes, was reported to have run aground at about 8 a.m. local time. It was later towed towards Kelapa Island, where efforts were under way to refloat it.

Initial information reported by Pos Kupang said there were no deaths and no pollution from the incident. The cause of the grounding and the total material loss were still being assessed.

A separate report by Detik identified the same vessel and location but gave a different passenger total, reporting 13 passengers—seven foreign tourists and six domestic tourists—and six crew members. It also reported that authorities suspected the vessel struck shallow coral while navigating in low tide conditions.

Because the passenger figures conflict, the confirmed common facts are that Yukai grounded near Seture Island on September 27, 2026, and that all passengers and crew were evacuated safely. The vessel’s condition and the final passenger manifest remain matters for the authorities’ assessment.

Sources

• Pos Kupang
• Detik Bali