LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — A tourist boat carrying 25 passengers and five crew members sank in Komodo National Park on Tuesday, leaving one Indonesian woman missing while 29 others were rescued.

KM Feronia had departed Marina Labuan Bajo at around 8 a.m. for a trip into Komodo National Park. The passengers included 21 foreign tourists and four Indonesians, while five crew members were also on board.

The group had completed diving activities in the Manta waters and was travelling back toward Labuan Bajo when the vessel ran into strong currents near Tatawa Island and Batu Bolong. Port authorities said the boat was struck by powerful currents as it passed through the area, causing it to lose stability and capsize.

Captain Isran said the sea conditions were challenging even though the weather itself was reportedly clear. He said a strong current hit the vessel from the left side while several passengers were on the upper deck and another person was inside a toilet.

As the boat began to overturn, Isran said he focused on getting passengers to safety and deployed a life raft. The vessel subsequently sank.

Twenty-four passengers and all five crew members were rescued and taken back to Marina Labuan Bajo. All 21 foreign tourists were among those rescued.

The missing passenger was identified as Veronica Beatrix Jessica, 23, an Indonesian woman. Local media, citing information from people involved in the trip, reported that Jessica had been working as a dive master aboard the vessel.

Her absence was discovered after the captain and rescuers carried out a headcount of those who had been evacuated.

Search teams continued looking for Jessica until Tuesday evening, but strong currents and limited underwater visibility hampered the operation. Labuan Bajo port authorities said she was believed to have remained inside the sunken vessel, although search teams had not confirmed her location.

The search resumed on Wednesday, October 14, involving a joint SAR team operating around the accident site.

KM Feronia is a 51-gross-ton traditional pinisi tourist vessel. Port authorities said the vessel had valid documents and had been declared seaworthy before departure.

Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the sinking. Initial accounts point to strong currents in the Tatawa area, with officials also examining whether the captain had enough time to anticipate the conditions as the vessel passed through the channel.

Komodo National Park is one of Indonesia’s best-known marine tourism destinations, drawing international visitors for diving, snorkelling and island tours from Labuan Bajo.

As of Wednesday morning, Jessica remained missing and the search operation was continuing.