REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MAKASSAR -- A motorboat carrying 94 adult and 12 child passengers lost contact on Saturday after being hit by waves while on its way from North Kolaka in Southeast Sulawesi to Bansalae in South Sulawesi.

"Based on the information we received, KM Marina that had set sail at 11am local time could not be contacted until now," South and West Sulawesi regional police command spokesman Senior Commissioner Frans Barung Mangera said.

He said the last contact was established with the ship at 4pm. Since 5.15pm, a search and rescue team had been following up on the information by scouring the ship's last known coordinates but so far they had been unable to trace it.

"There is no information from there but the SAR team and others have been scouring the coordinates of the location of the ship when it last communicated with the port master," he said.

"We are continuously coordinating with the related parties while the joint SAR teams have been communicating with us," he said.

Hundreds of family members of the passengers of KM Marina are crowding the office of the port of the Kolaka district in Southeast Asia awaiting information about the ship.

Yusril, one of the family members of a passenger, said at around 15.09 hours, his child, who is a passenger of the express boat, called him but hung up before it was attended.

"My child called me but before we could take the call, it was out. We tried to call back but it was inactive," he said.

When he had tried to call at 13.45 hours, his handphone was inactive.

"Normally, at that hour, there was a signal but when I tried to contact him, his phone was inactive and now it is already 18.00 hours but it continues to be inactive," he said.

Yusril hoped all passengers of Marina Express, including his son, were safe.

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